Thirty-Nine People Charged In Connection With Trafficking Drugs In Hancock County

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22 Arrested in Early Morning Sweep of Chester & Newell;
17 Suspects Still Wanted

NEW CUMBERLAND, WV - Thirty-nine individuals involved in the trafficking of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and other drugs in Hancock County have been charged in federal and state court, according to U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld, II, Hancock County Prosecutor James Davis, and Hancock County Sheriff Ralph Fletcher.

An early morning arrest operation took place today during which 22 defendants were taken into custody. The sweep was spearheaded by the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force and was supported by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force of Wheeling, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, the Mountaineer Highway Interdiction Team, the Greater Harrison County (W.Va.) Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service.

During the sweep additional quantities of illegal drugs were recovered and additional charges may be filed as a result of those discoveries.

The arrests dealt a major blow to the drug activity that has plagued the areas of Chester and Newell for the past year, and this investigation is one that Sheriff Fletcher has been focused upon since he took office in January. The leading to the charges became operational in September of 2012 and included extensive surveillance and many controlled purchases of narcotics.

“We’re fortunate to have such a talented and hard-working drug task force to serve the citizens of Hancock County,” said Sheriff Fletcher. “These men worked long hours to help to make the streets of Newell, Chester, and other communities in this county a safer place for everyone.”

“Hancock County struggles with the fact that our boundaries to the North, East and West are the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Ohio,” said Prosecuting Attorney Jim Davis. “This makes the transport of controlled substantives relatively easy from Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit and even the New Jersey area. That’s why it takes a cooperative effort, such as the one that occurred in this investigation, to make a significant impact.”

“The Drug Enforcement Administration, working in partnership with the Hancock- Brooke-Weirton HIDTA Drug Task Force has brought a significant heroin and crack cocaine trafficking organization; operating in Newell and Chester, West Virginia to justice,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Karl C. Colder of the Washington Division Office. “This investigation demonstrates the continued commitment by DEA and the HIDTA Drug Task Force to impact drug trafficking organizations at their highest level.”

Nineteen of those involved were charged by a federal grand jury in Wheeling which returned three separate indictments with a total of ninety-four counts related to the distribution of heroin, methamphetamine, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone in the Hancock County area.

Of the thirty-nine individuals charged, six are from Chester, ten are from Newell, eight are from East Liverpool, Ohio, four are from New Cumberland; three are from Weirton; two are from New Brighton, Pennsylvania, one is from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, one is from Georgetown, Pennsylvania, two are from Mckees Rocks, Pennsylvania, one is from Wellsburg, one is from Colliers and one is from Wellsville, Ohio.

FEDERAL CHARGES

The following individuals were indicted by the Wheeling federal grand jury earlier this week:

MICHAEL OGDEN ALLEN, 22 years old of Chester, West Virginia, was charged with seven felony counts related to the distribution of heroin and methamphetamine in Hancock County.

EDWARD LEON CROW, JR., of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with eight felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

BRIAN CUSTER, 30 years old of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with ten felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

SHAWN LEE DANVER a/k/a “SHAWN D,” 29 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with two felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

BRANDON DUNN, 28 years old of Chester, West Virginia, was charged with nineteen felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

JUSTIN GRAHAM, 30 years old of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with eight felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

KAREN GRAHAM, 41 years old of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with three felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

ANTONIO SCOTT FRAZIER a/k/a “ANTONIO SCOTT HARLIN” a/k/a “KOBE, 27 years old, was charged with six felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

BRANDI LOU HISSOM, 37 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with nine felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

BRITTANY LUCINDA HISSOM, 18 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with eight felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

ANTONYO W. JOHNSON, 26 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with eight felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

NIKKI J. KOFFEL, 24 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with five felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

ELIZABETH KWOLEK, 20 years old of Chester, West Virginia, was charged with nine felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

LARISSA ANNE MARINER, 28 years old of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with six felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

RANDY ALLEN SAVORS, JR., 35 years old of East Liverpool,, Ohio, was charged with two felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

KYLE ROBERT THORN, 27 years old of Chester, West Virginia, was charged with three felony counts relating to the distribution of heroin and methamphetamine in Hancock County.

DAVID WESLEY TREAD WAY, 54 years old of Newell, West Virginia, was charged with eight felony counts related to the distribution of cocaine base in Hancock County.

MALIK ALONSO WARE a/k/a “BLAKE,” 30 years old of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, was charged with ten felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

TONY WOLFE, 39 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, was charged with eleven felony counts related to the distribution of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana in Hancock County.

STATE CHARGES

The following individuals have been charged in state court as part of the same investigation:

JOSHUA RYAN AYERS, 23 years old of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, with Conspiracy to Deliver Controlled Substances, Delivery of a Controlled Substance; Transporting a Controlled Substance into the State; and, Delivery of a Counterfeit Controlled Substance.

ROSALYN GALLOWAY, 28 years old Newell, West Virginia, with Delivery of a
Controlled Substance.

BRIAN HUMPHREYS, 33 years old of East Liverpool, Ohio, with Conspiracy to
Deliver Controlled Substances and Delivery of a Controlled Substance.

SCOTT R. LAMB, 30 years old, of Chester, West Virginia, with Delivery of a
Controlled Substance.

AMANDA M. MACKALL, 20 years old, of Georgetown, Pennsylvania, with Conspiracy to Deliver Controlled Substances, Delivery of a Controlled Substance; Transporting a Controlled Substance into the State; and, Delivery of a Counterfeit Controlled Substance.

CHRISTIAN D. PARR, 28 years old of Colliers, West Virginia, with Delivery of a
Controlled Substance.

HEATHER WELLS, 32 years old of Chester, West Virginia, with Conspiracy to
Deliver Controlled Substances and Delivery of a Controlled Substance.

DWAYNE WHITAKER, 25 years old of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, with Delivery of a Controlled Substance.

The following individuals were also charged in State Court as part of today’s operation: JAMES A. ACCONICA, JR., age 47, of Newell, West Virginia; JAMES A. ACCONICA, III a/k/a “JT,” age 26, of Weirton, West Virginia; COURTNEY MARIE BOYLES, age 23, of Weirton, West Virginia; ADAM SCOTT GRAHAM, age 26, of Newell, West Virginia, BONNIE GRAHAM-BUCKLEY, age 31, of New Cumberland, West Virginia; WILLIAM EMMIT HART, age 51, of New Cumberland, West Virginia, MYSTIC LEIGH HUGGINS, age 29, of Wellsville, Ohio; RICHARD ALAN MAXWELL, age 39, of New Cumberland, West Virginia, DUSTIN MITCHEL MCCOY, age 34, of New Cumberland, West Virginia; LUKE A. MORRIS, age 34, of East Liverpool, Ohio; CHRISTOPHER CARLTON NIXON, age 34, of Newell, West Virginia; JOHN ROBERT SPEARS, age 38, of Weirton, West Virginia; and, DAWYNE WHITAKER, age 25, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
Of those charged the following individuals have not yet been apprehended: MICHAEL OGDEN ALLEN
NIKKI J. KOFFEL
SHAWN LEE DANVER ANTONIO SCOTT HARLIN RANDY ALLEN SAVORS, JR. MALIK ALONSO WARE

JAMES A. ACCONICA, JR. JAMES A. ACCONICA, III JOSHUA RYAN AYERS COURTNEY BOYLES SCOTT LAMB
AMANDA MARIE MACKALL DUSTIN MCCOY
CHRISTIAN D. PARR JOHN ROBERT SPEARS HEATHER ANN WELLS DAWYNE WHITAKER

All of those charged face prison sentences, or fines, or both. The United States is also seeking the forfeiture of money and property which constitute proceeds derived as a result of such offenses.

The charges contained in the federal indictment and state warrants are merely accusations and not evidence of guilt, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.