HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced the arrest of 5 persons charged with buying and selling crystal methamphetamine in Somerset County. During the execution of the arrests, law enforcement authorities discovered and seized 10 illegal guns in the possession of one of the drug dealers.
Jeffery Mostoller, Kelly Shaulis, Bryson Yommer, Bryan Mitchell, and Kevin Zimmerman were all charged as dealers of crystal methamphetamine in a drug trafficking organization operating in Somerset County.
“Our agents worked with local authorities and targeted people selling crystal meth on the streets of Somerset County,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We thank District Attorney Lisa Lazzari-Strasiser and Somerset police for their collaboration. Crystal meth is a real problem across the Commonwealth, particularly in rural communities. We’re pursuing crystal meth cases and shutting down these operations wherever we find them.”
Investigators confirmed the drug dealers in the organization sold crystal methamphetamine throughout Somerset County. A statewide investigating grand jury identified that Mostoller was receiving 12 grams of crystal methamphetamine twice a month for 18 months from Shaulis.
Somerset County District Attorney Lazzari-Strasiser praised the law enforcement cooperation leading to today’s arrests. “This is another example of collaboration among agencies to protect the people of Somerset County,” District Attorney Lazzari-Strasiser. “We thank Attorney General Shapiro and his agents for their work on this case.”
During today’s arrests, agents found defendant Shaulis at his residence on Pike Run Road in Somerset. Agents observed firearms in the house. Shaulis is a convicted felon and not permitted to possess firearms. Agents searched the home, where they seized 10 firearms (rifles and shotguns) and ammunition, $12,442 in cash and drug paraphernalia. Shaulis was charged with drug offenses and illegal possession of firearms. Following preliminary arraignment, Shaulis was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail on drug charges and $100,000 bail for the gun possession offenses.
The other defendants were all preliminarily arraigned on drug offenses pending subsequent proceedings.
“These drug trafficking organizations, large or small, will be identified and brought before the justice system to make communities safer throughout our Commonwealth,” said Attorney General Shapiro.
