Police arrest 17, seize drugs, guns and money

Guns, heroin and cash seized today.

NOTE: Initially, I reported the names of those arrested. Because I am an individual person and not representing a company that owns a media outlet, I decided to edit out the names but leave in other details. That said, all of this is a matter of public record and is reported in other media.

Police in Elizabethtown seized drugs and guns when they arrested 17 people today, the culmination of a six-month undercover investigation.

Officers, troopers and agents from the Elizabethtown Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Lancaster County Sherriff’s Department, Berks County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania State Parole and U.S. Marshalls Task Force executed twenty felony and misdemeanor warrants in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Seventeen of the warrants were for felony possession with intent to deliver illegal drugs and one was a felony retail theft charge. There were two misdemeanor drug related warrants and one bench warrant from Lancaster County Courts served as well. Most of the warrants were served in the greater Elizabethtown area. All of the individuals have either been picked up or have arrest warrants pending.

Police said troopers from the state police and Elizabethtown  conducted the undercover investigation, during which troopers and officers purchased illegal drugs from various street drug dealers.

There were also arrests stemming from the service of the arrest warrants. Those arrests were handled by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Elizabethtown Police Department and are outlined below.

In all, the police seized four weapons (three handguns and one shotgun), 771 bags of heroin and more than $1,400 in cash. Also seized were two vehicles which had been used by individuals who were dealing drugs.

Police said a team of law enforcement officers went to a residence on North Poplar Street in Elizabethtown to serve a Lancaster County Bench Warrant at about 5:30 this morning. The officers identified themselves and attempted to serve the warrant.

A 44-year-old woman intervened and attempted to thwart the efforts of the police, according to a police news release. She was arrested for aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer, obstructing administration of law or other governmental functions, terroristic threats, possession of marijuana and disorderly conduct. She allegedly grabbed a deputy sheriff and attempted to pull him backwards as he ascended a staircase and allegedly continued to aggressively fight law enforcement officers as they attempted to serve the warrant.

Also in the residence was a large dog who the woman threatened to have attack the police stating that she was going to have the dog “kill” the police officers, police said. She was arrested and taken into custody. She was arraigned before District Justice Jayne Duncan where she was released on $2,500 bail.

At approximately 5:50 a.m. officers served arrest warrants on 29-year-old man in the 2300 block of South Market Street, Elizabethtown. During the arrest, officers discovered over $1,400 in cash, three handguns, one shotgun and 211 bags of heroin, the news release reported. All of the weapons were loaded and two of the handguns and the shotgun were in bed with Phelps. Police also seized a 1999 Dodge Caravan belonging to the man.

He was charged with five felony counts of possession of heroin with intent to deliver. These offenses allegedly occurred within a school or other drug free zone. His bail was set at $100,000 cash bail, and he was committed to Lancaster County Prison. Police said that because of the events that occurred when Phelps was arrested, additional charges are pending.

At approximately 12 p.m. police, conducting an undercover drug investigation, arrested a 28-year-old woman from Columbia for felony possession of heroin with intent to deliver in the 2300 block of South Market Street, Elizabethtown. Police confiscated 560 bags of heroin. A Dodge Stratus belonging to the suspect was seized by police. She was committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

The following individuals were sought on arrest warrants and have been charged as indicated:

• A 20-year-old Elizabethtown man was charged with two felony counts of possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. These offenses allegedly occurred within a school or other drug free zone. Bail was set at $10,000, and he was committed to Lancaster County Prison.
• A 27-year-old Manheim man was charged with two felony counts of possession of heroin with intent to deliver. He was committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $40,000 cash bail.
• A 27-year-old Elizabethtown woman was charged with one felony count of possession of dihydrocodeinone and alprazolarm with intent to deliver. She was released on $10,000 cash bail.
• A 20-year-old Elizabethtown man was charged with one felony count of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. In lieu of $5,000 bail, he was committed to Lancaster County Prison.
• A 24-year-old Elizabethtown woman was charged with one felony count of possession of heroin with intent to deliver. She was committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.
• A 23-year-old Elizabethtown man was charged with one felony count of possession of psilocybin, a Schedule I substance, with intent to deliver. These charges date back to an alleged incident from December 2009. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
• A 40-year-old Mount Joy man was charged with one felony count of possession of Oxycodone hydrochloride tablets with intent to deliver. He was committed to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.
• A 34-year-old Elizabethtown man was charged with two misdemeanor counts, one for possession of marijuana and the other for possession of drug paraphernalia. McKnight was released on $500 unsecured bail.
• A 24-year-old Palmyra woman was charged with one felony count of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. In lieu of $25,000 bail, she was committed to Lancaster County Prison.
• A 30-year-old Steelton woman was charged with one felony count of retail theft allegedly stemming from the theft of gas from a Turkey Hill Store in February. She was was taken into custody by Steelton Police Department and transported to Elizabethtown. She was released on $5,000 bail.
• An 18-year-old Elizabethtown man was charged with one felony count of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. This offense allegedly occurred within a school or other drug free zone. He was released on $10,000 bail.

In addition, police have outstanding warrants for the following:

• A 31-year-old Elizabethtown man for one felony count of possession of Dilaudid (hydomorphone hydrochloride) with intent to deliver. Police did not locate him today.
• A 30-year-old Elizabethtown woman on two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. One count was for Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and the other for amphetamine tablets, a Schedule II controlled substance. She was not located and a warrant exists for her arrest.