Thread: PA: Mexican-run heroin ring broken up in Moon, Beaver Falls

Mexican-run heroin ring broken up in Moon, Beaver Falls
Monday, July 02, 2007

By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

State Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced his agents and police have broken up a heroin ring run by Mexicans in Beaver Falls and Moon.

Mr. Corbett said the ring has been distributing Mexican black tar heroin, a form that is often not as powerful as some others but which has been linked to at least one death.

Julio Ramierez-Garcia is accused of running the ring from apartments in Moon and Beaver Falls since arriving in the area from Mexico early last year.

Agents today were rounding up 16 street-level dealers, all of them Americans. They were also arresting 10 bosses, nine of them from Mexico. Another member of the ring has been deported to Mexico

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07183/798760-100.stm

they need to lock these fellows up and throw away the key.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 15540.html

27 arrested in Allegheny, Beaver drug sweep
By Craig Smith
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, July 3, 2007


The Mexican leaders of a drug ring that sold black tar heroin in Allegheny and Beaver counties recruited young, white men and women as dealers because "that's where the market is, " Attorney General Tom Corbett said Monday.
"They didn't have much of a market within their own nationality, " Corbett said in announcing the arrests of 27 people -- including the 10 illegal immigrants accused of setting up shop in the area about 14 months ago to run the drug operation.

"The market was right there," Corbett said, pointing to the pictures of the 17 men and women accused of serving as street-level dealers. He identified the leaders as Julio Ramierez-Garcia and Pedro Alberto Peralta-Romero, both 25.

One death has been linked to the black tar heroin, and additional charges could result as the investigation continues, Corbett said.


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The ring members were sophisticated, using cell phones and pagers, and wary of police, Corbett said. They would not supply any heroin to confidential informants until they showed "track marks," or the visible markings of drug injection, he said.
Among those arrested was Dana Woods, 25, who shared a Bellevue row house with Gary J. Palacios, 33, who faces charges. Corbett said Palacios is considered a fugitive.

A neighbor who would not give his name said Woods might have moved from the home several weeks ago after an argument with Palacios.

"She seemed nice," he said.

Another neighbor said she was not surprised by the drug allegations.

Black tar heroin is found mainly in California and other southwestern states. It is rarely found in Pennsylvania, Corbett said.

The form of heroin typically found in Pennsylvania is a high-purity, white or brown powder substance that's packaged in bags and stamped with a brand name. It can be injected, smoked or snorted.

Black tar heroin is less pure and usually injected, although it can be smoked if it's pure enough.

A small balloon of black tar can sell for $50. A stamp bag can go for as little as $10 in Philadelphia, said Kevin Harley, a spokesman for Corbett.

The ring allegedly operated out of a Moon apartment complex and another apartment in Beaver Falls, Corbett said. Officials recovered more than seven ounces of black tar heroin, $18,000 and drug paraphernalia.


Busts made

The state Attorney General's Office on Monday announced 27 arrests in a drug sweep dubbed "Operation Black Tar."
The alleged ringleaders include 10 illegal immigrants from Mexico. They are:

Julio "Manny" Ramierez-Garcia, 25; Pedro Alberto Peralta-Romero, 25; Lucas Perez-Lopez, 27; Isaias Perez-Delgado, 24; Irvin Joan De-Dios-Ramierez, 20; Josue Celedon-Partida, 28; Hector Gonzalez-Medina, 21; Hector Eduardo Bravo-Orquiz, 19; Gregorio Celedon-Partida, 23; and Veronica Trinidad Hernandez-Garcia, 25.

Seventeen are accused of serving as street-level dealers. They are:

Jocelyn Bradford, 25, and Thomas J. Morgan, 34, both of Beaver Falls; Christopher Burckure, 22, Brenna Heruing, 23,

Christopher Aeschbacher, 23, Vincent Moakley, 24, Clayton Fulmer, 22, and Ashley Trogvac, 21, all of Rochester; Charles Hummel, 29, and Derrick Roush, 26, both of New Brighton; Dana Woods, 25, and Gary Palacios, 33, both of Bellevue; James "Jimmy" Lauria, 29, and James Tassos, 32, both of McKees Rocks; Jessica Gale Cox, 23, and Dennis R. Trimmer, 26, both of Coraopolis; and Martin Mark Bobro, 28, of Monaca.

And these people who have already received a warm welcome by boosh would have been US citizens if he'd had his way. (mod edit).

Members of heroin ring
plead, sentenced Wednesday
By: Bill Vidonic, Times Staff
09/12/2007

BEAVER - Several people accused of participating in a black-tar heroin ring in Allegheny and Beaver counties entered pleas in Beaver County Court Wednesday and were sentenced by Beaver County Judge Richard Mancini.

The state attorney general's office said the black-tar heroin ring had been operating in western Pennsylvania for more than a year before arrests in March and late June. In all, 27 people have been charged; 10 are thought to be illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Others charged recently have plea agreements in the works, while others are awaiting trial on various drug charges.

Those sentenced Wednesday:

# Irvin Joan De Dios-Ramierez, 20, criminal conspiracy, drug possession and participating in a corrupt organization, nine to 23½ months in county jail, followed by four years' probation.

# Hector Eduardo Bravo-Orquiz, 19, criminal conspiracy, three to 23½ months in county jail, followed by two years' probation.

# Lucas Perez-Lopez, 27, participating in a corrupt organization, nine to 23½ months in county jail, followed by four years' probation.

# Dana Woods, 25, of Bellevue, participating in a corrupt organization and criminal conspiracy, nine to 23½ months in county jail, followed by two years' probation.

# Jessica Gale Cox, 23, of Coraopolis, criminal conspiracy and drug possession, six to 23½ months in county jail, followed by one year's probation.

# James "Jimmy" Lauria, 29, of McKees Rocks, criminal conspiracy and drug possession, five years' probation.

# James Tassos, 32, of Pittsburgh, criminal conspiracy and drug possession, 21 to 42 months in jail, followed by two years' probation.

# Jocelyn Bradford, 25, of Beaver Falls, criminal conspiracy, forgery and identity theft, three months to one year in county jail, followed by three years' probation.

Bill Vidonic can be reached online at bvidonic@timesonline.com.

http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cf ... 8569&rfi=6