AG Cracks Down As Final Election Stretch Nears, Rounds Up Dealers in Altoona Area

Forty-five suspected drug dealers charged in Blair County street-level sweep

HARRISBURG – Forty-five suspected drug dealers were charged today by the state Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI) as part of street-level sweep in Blair County.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said that the investigation focused on the import and distribution of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and various prescription drugs in the Blair County area, specifically in and around Altoona.

Corbett said that these arrests are the culmination of an eight-month cooperative investigation with the Blair County Drug Task Force.

“Today’s arrests are part of an ongoing effort to target local, street-level drug dealers and drug suppliers, who are bringing heroin, cocaine and prescription drugs to the streets of Altoona,” Corbett said. “Street-level sweeps, such as this, take local dealers and users off the street and eventually lead to arrests of upper-level suppliers and complex drug organizations.”

Corbett said that undercover officers and confidential informants made at least 65 controlled purchases during the investigation.

Agents believe that the suspects met their customers on the streets of Altoona and other Blair County towns, in parking lots, at businesses and occasionally at their homes in order to purchase and sell drugs.

According to the investigation, the suspects arrested for distributing prescription pills were supplying drugs such as Suboxone, Oxycontin, Xanax, Hydrocodone, Opana, Vicodin, Lorcet and Roxycodone, which are all narcotic pain medications.

Corbett noted that the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are anticipated.

Corbett thanked Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio’s office, the Altoona Police, Hollidaysburg Borough Police Department, Blair Township Police Department, the other police departments that participate in the Blair County Drug Task Force and the  Pennsylvania State Police, for their assistance with the investigation.

The case will be prosecuted in Blair County by Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio’s office.

Below is a list of the defendants and the charges against them.

–Kareem Grady, 32, 1220 21st Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Matthew Pelton, 27, 1026 4th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of Suboxone, possession of Suboxone and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Dawn Houp, 27, 1026 4th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of Suboxone, possession of Suboxone and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Kent Martin, 26, 1303 N. 6th Ave., Apt. B, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–William Sands III, 49, 1301 N. 3rd St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Timothy Cobaugh, 49, last known address 504 26th St., Apt. 1, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts each of conspiracy, delivery of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Daniel Benson, 24, 2023 3rd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of heroin and possession of heroin.

–Matthew Dibert, 27, 311 ½ 14th St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with four counts of conspiracy, four counts of delivery of heroin, four counts of possession of heroin and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility.

–Joshua Goss, 26, 2821 6th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with four counts of delivery of heroin, four counts of possession of heroin, three counts of conspiracy and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility.

–Matthew Brodman, 23, 221 Spruce Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of LSD and possession of LSD.

–Robert Ernest, 50, 1916 13th St., 2nd Floor Rear, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts each of delivery of crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Curtis Gates, 22, 893 27th St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts each of delivery of heroin, possession of heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Russell Harold III, 22, 501 ½ 23rd St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with five counts of delivery of cocaine, five counts of possession of cocaine five counts of criminal use of a communications facility.

–Ray Hemingway, 20, 852 22nd St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of possession of cocaine, three counts of delivery of cocaine, three counts of conspiracy and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

–Daniel Laich, 27, 629 N. 9th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of Oxycontin and possession of Oxycontin.

–Comfort Morgan, 27, 701 3rd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Rocky Rogers, 48, 1428 18th Ave., 1st Floor, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of Oxycontin, possession of Oxycontin and acquiring Oxycontin by fraud.

–Andrew Taylor, 32, 1300 12th St., Penn Alto, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

–Tiffany Walter, 22, 161 Helsel Lane, Imler, Bedford County, is charged with two counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of criminal use of a communications facility, one count of conspiracy and one count of possession of cocaine.

–Lynorris Wilson, 28, Coachlite Apartments, Apartment 5, Tyrone, Blair County, is charged
with one count each of delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Walter Langenbacher, 66, 600 2nd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of delivery of marijuana, two counts of possession of marijuana, two counts of criminal use of a communications facility, one count of criminal attempt and one count of theft.

–Robert Stewart, 38, 528 2nd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of marijuana, possession of marijuana and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Tyson Pattillo, 27, 406 5th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of marijuana and possession of marijuana.

–Breanna Langenbacher, 19, 212 Cherry Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, delivery of marijuana, possession of marijuana and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Wesley Wenger, 33, 2621 6th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with two counts of criminal use of a communications facility, one count of delivery of marijuana, one count of delivery of Xanax, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of possession of Xanax and one count of conspiracy.

–Tammie Thompson, 38, 2203 6th Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of cocaine and possession of cocaine.

–Timothy Miles, 27, 3704 Oak Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of delivery of marijuana/Oxycontin, possession of marijuana/Oxycontin and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Tammy Woytowiez, 38, Rolling Rock Motel, 2590 Old Route 22, Duncansville, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession of Hydrocodone/Xanax and obtaining Hydrocodone/Xanax by fraud.

–Jeffrey McKissick, 36, 915 Tuscarora Drive, East Freedom, Blair County, is charged with two counts of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana/Oxycodone and conspiracy.

–David Hillegass, 37, 12 Lehigh Terrace, Duncansville, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy, possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and possession of marijuana.

–Albert Kuklo III, 24, 226 Wayside Drive, Duncansville, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, possession of marijuana and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Edward Rockwell III, 23, 128 East Freedom St., East Freedom, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver Oxycodone, possession of Oxycodone and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Charles Marlow Jr., 42, RR #2, Box 1154 B, Claysburg, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, possession of marijuana dn criminal use of a communications facility.

–Ray Stiver Jr., 47, 2500 Washington Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and conspiracy to possess with the intent to deliver crack cocaine.

–Robert Moskowitz, 59, 2101 2nd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and conspiracy.

–Susan Moskowitz, 52, 2101 2nd Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession of crack cocaine and conspiracy.

–Drew Gottschall, 46, 1417 Washington Ave., 2nd Floor, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine.

–Joseph Zeth, 46, last known address 117 Chevrolet Drive, PO Box 147, East Freedom, Blair County, is charged with two counts each of possession with the intent to deliver Suboxone, possession of Suboxone and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Dustin Riley, 22, 439 Water St., Apartment 2, Roaring Springs, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver heroin, possession of heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

–Cynthia Pitcock, 38, 517 N. 3rd St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with three counts of criminal use of a communications facility, two counts of conspiracy, one count of possession with the intent to deliver Oxycodone/Xanax/Opana and one count of possession of Oxycodone/Xanax/Opana.

–Brenda Miller, 40, 120 E. Carolina Ave., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy and possession of Oxycodone.

–Bret Stevens, 39, 3101 Pleasant Valley Blvd., Apt. 4, Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count of conspiracy.

–Rochelle Noffsker, 21, 212 Elcona St., Duncansville, Blair County, is charged with two counts of criminal use of a communications facility, one count of possession with the intent to deliver Vicodin/Lorcet and one count of conspiracy.

-Rhonda Vermeulin, 49, 212 Elcona St., Duncansville, Blair County, is charged with one count each of conspiracy and possession of Lorcet.

–Eric Mearkle, 29, 2106 19th St., Altoona, Blair County, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver Roxycodone, possession of Roxycodone and criminal use of a communications facility.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)