Shenandoah, Weston, Mahanoy City residents charged after Luzerne narcotics investigation
PHOTO COURTESY / WEST HAZLETON PD - Seized items after a narcotics investigation in West Hazleton.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
WEST HAZLETON, Luzerne County – A Shenandoah man and a Weston man are behind bars, and a Mahanoy City woman will soon have charges filed against him after a narcotics investigation this spring in Luzerne County.
Acording to West Hazleton Police, during the months of March and April, investigators conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from a residence at 418-420 West Green Street in the borough, a home occupied by Dawn Cragle and Brian Dickinson. A search warrant was executed on the residence yesterday, and another served at Room 102 of the Hazleton Motor Inn in Hazleton city.
Cragle and Dickinson were taken into custody shorlty before the search warrant execution on a traffic stop, where they were in possession of 30.2 grams of packaged fentanyl and several grams of methamphetamine.
“Several grams of methamphetamine were purchased from the residence as well,” police said. “Cragle would serve customers and arrange the sales to customers via telephone.”
Officers say, at the Hazleton Motor Inn, Scott Wanamaker, of Weston, was found trying to flush methamphetamine down a toilet, and was taken into custody.
Cragle, Dickinson, Wanamaker, as well as Timothy Pendergast, of Hazle Township, were all taken to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for overnight arraignment.
Cragle, 43, faces four felony counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance(Methamphetamine), two felony counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Fentanyl and Methamphetamine) and four felony counts of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, while Dickinson, 37, faces one felony count of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver (Fentanyl).
Wanamaker, 42, faces two counts of possession of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine and heroin). Wanamaker also had a bench warrant issued by Schuylkill County.
Additionally, John Lorah, 39, of Shenandoah, was arrested and charged with Firearm not be carried without a license, one count of possession of a controlled substance(methamphetamine) and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Pendergast, 25, is charged with one felony count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance(Methamphetamine) and one felony count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
Charges will be filed against Gianna Julian, 21, of Mahanoy City, for misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana, as a result of the investigation.
Charges will also be filed against:
- Christina Klick, 44, of West Hazleton charged with possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Austin Calarco, 21, of West Hazleton charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Bruce Nelligan, 29, of Orrtanna, Adams County, charged with possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
An arrest warrant will be issued for another Schuylkill County woman, Brittany Hinkle, 24, of McAdoo, charged with one felony count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance and one felony count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility for a delivery of methamphetamine.
The investigation was conducted by Investigators from the West Hazleton Police Department, The Hazleton City Police Department and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force.
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