Police: $116,000 worth of narcotics seized in raid
A raid resulting in the seizure of $116,000 worth of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and oxycodone landed four men in prison Thursday.
Lycoming County District Attorney Eric R. Linhardt, with Williamsport Police Chief David J. Young and state police Captain Randy M. Devine, announced at a press conference Friday that Kadeen Dashon Crawford, 28, Markel Malcom Richardson, 29, Khayree Kamal Jackson, 26 and Daniel Leroy Shank, 41, are all jailed in Lycoming County Prison and each facing over a dozen charges. All men have Philadelphia addresses.
The four were involved in what could turn into a larger criminal conspiracy that was turning significant amounts of drugs out onto local streets.
The men were operating out of an apartment at 1545 Northway Road, according to an affidavit filed by a detective with the county’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit.
It’s there that police found 3,504 bags of heroin, over a pound of methamphetamine, 37 grams of cocaine and 98 oxycodone pills.
The bust is the result of a joint undercover effort by the county’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit, Williamsport Bureau of Police and state police over the past few weeks.
Four of nine relevant undercover drug deals occurred at the apartment on Northway Road, police said.
Three were allegedly between a confidential informant and Crawford.
The informant said they had routinely used a number belonging to Crawford to buy heroin five to six times per week. Police set three buys with that number.
The first, on Aug. 14, the informant set up a time with Crawford to purchase two bundles in the area of the Northway Road apartment.
The second, nearly 17 days later, was for one bundle at High Street and Wildwood Boulevard. The last on Sept. 20 was at Hepburn Street and Grampian Boulvard.
Crawford was taken into custody around 6:30 a.m. Thursday. Shortly after, other members of the unit and the Special Response Team raided the apartment. Richardson, Jackson and Shank were all allegedly inside.
Police said they immediately noticed cocaine in plain view. There was also significant amounts of heroin and meth in the kitchen and the living room.
When searching the three, police said they found a brick of heroin in Jackson’s pocket that matched the heroin they had been buying out of the house for weeks.
The heroin found in the apartment could not be linked to the scourge that caused well over 50 overdoses in a period of 48 hours in late June.
“But the overdose investigation is ongoing,” Linhardt said. “It is a fluid investigation and we will be looking for any connections.”
Linhardt added that the meth found in the apartment was of “particularly high quality.” The common dosage is bought in grams and the meth found in the apartment could be sold as 453 grams, Linhardt said.
There was no reason to believe that the drugs were manufactured locally.
Crawford has prior and open cases out of Carbon and Philadelphia counties including aggravated assault, recklessly endangering and carrying a firearm without a license. Jackson’s prior record includes possession with intent to deliver, Shank’s includes aggravated assault and Richardson’s includes robbery, false identification and perjury.
All four men have prior drug charges and were either on probation or state parole at the time of this arrest.
The three men in the apartment at the time of the raid — Jackson, Richardson and Shank — each face 16 charges. Crawford faces 15.
But Linhardt said additional charges are expected, including some against more conspirators.
Linhardt said the bust was significant and was a testament to agencies working together.
All four men are scheduled to appear before District Judge Gary A. Whiteman for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 9.