Attorney General Josh Shapiro announces charges against 25 drug dealers in Harrisburg

Harrisburg Raid

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro, working with numerous state and local  law enforcement agencies, today announced criminal charges against 25 individuals for selling drugs in Harrisburg and communities nearby. These persons were charged with delivery of heroin and crack cocaine, among other drug-related offenses.

Throughout a 7-month investigation, members of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Mobile Street Crimes Unit (MSCU) made controlled purchases of illegal drugs from dealers. Agents seized heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, prescription pills, ecstasy and other drugs, in addition to 17 firearms and more than $18,000 in cash.

“These dealers are peddling heroin and cocaine and infecting the Harrisburg community,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. “They undermine the quality of life in every neighborhood. I pledged to get this poison out of our communities and hold criminals accountable. The community of Harrisburg and local police asked for our help, and we heard them loud and clear.”

The arrests were the result of a lengthy investigation by the MSCU and many cooperating agencies, including Harrisburg Police, Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, Dauphin County Probation and Parole, Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, Dauphin County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, Middletown Police, Susquehanna Township Police, Lower Paxton Township Police and Steelton Police.

Earlier this morning, Attorney General Shapiro accompanied agents with the Office of Attorney General’s Special Operations Group on two house raids in connection with this operation.   At the first house, in Harrisburg, agents made two arrests and seized $2900 and 9 grams of cocaine. At the second house, also in Harrisburg, agents made one arrest, and also found four young children present in the home.   The investigation is ongoing.

“These arrests today are a strong example of law enforcement cooperation,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We extend our gratitude and thanks to Harrisburg police, the Dauphin County DA’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and every local department and agency that assisted us in our joint efforts to get these drug dealers off our streets.”

The following defendants are charged with drug-related offenses:

• Anton Bland, 41, of 525 S 2^nd Street in Steelton
• James Carr, 28, of 1422 State Street in Harrisburg
• Kurt Cheatham, 36, of 2328 Luce Street in Harrisburg
• Shawn Davenport, 30, of 142 Balm Street in Harrisburg
• Matthew Depasquale, 35, of 101 Greenbriar Drive in Marysville
• Kevin Ellison, 40, of 363 N Union Street in Middletown
• Robert Fleming, 32, of 2244 N 7^th Street in Harrisburg
• Eric Henry, 26, of 3012 Derry Street in Harrisburg
• Kaseem Ingram, 27, of 1934 Chestnut Street in Harrisburg
• Jaleel Jackson, 21, of 2311 Ionoff Road in Harrisburg
• Bobby Johnson, 39, of 240 South 13^th Street in Harrisburg
• Anthony Maldonado, 27, of 100 Evergreen Street in Harrisburg
• Emerson Miller, 31, of 264 Briggs Street in Harrisburg
• Tristan Nicholsan, 32, of 407 Redbud Court in Harrisburg
• Kevin Payne, 54, of 155 Royal Terrace in Harrisburg
• James Pierce, 30, of 2012 N 4^th Street in Harrisburg
• Robert Roberts, 54, of 1105 4^th Avenue in Steelton
• Jeffrey Simpson, 27, of 1828 North Street in Harrisburg
• Dwayne Tennant, 56, of 1708 N 2^nd Street in Harrisburg
• Orlando Twyford, 55, of 2128 Susquehanna Street in Harrisburg
• Lavar Williams, 28, of 1159 Derry Street in Harrisburg
• Corday Willis, 24, of 1706 State Street in Harrisburg
• Andrew Wood, 43, of 237 Maclay Street in Harrisburg
• Kenyatta Wright, 25, of 1819 Whitehall Street in Harrisburg
• Antoine Yeiser, 27, of 623 Camp Street in Harrisburg

All defendants taken into custody June 6, 2017 will be preliminarily arraigned before Dauphin County Magisterial District Judge Barbara Pianka and will be prosecuted by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.