A Coudersport man and six others were detained in connection with a large-scale drug smuggling operation that sent pounds of meth and fentanyl into northern Pennsylvania from New York, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
On Tuesday, June 10, Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday, Jr. announced the arrests of the following individuals for their alleged involvement in the operation that stretched over Potter, McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Warren counties.
- Benjamin Simms, 31, of Coudersport, but currently incarcerated at a state prison in Marienville, PA.
- Kyle P. Brown, 39, of Emporium, PA.
- Marry Ann Stolburg, 61, of Ridgeway, PA.
- Justin Meyer, 38, of Saint Marys, PA.
- Beau Azzato, 20, of Saint Marys, PA.
- Richard Bauer, 64, of Johnsonburg, PA.
- Josh Dalton, 35, of Ridgeway, PA.
All seven were detained on counts of criminal possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy, and other connected crimes.
Attorney General Sunday stated that Simms and Brown collaborated while others functioned independently.
Simms, a mid-level dealer, is accused of trafficking 30 to 40 pounds of meth from New York in a single year.
As previously stated, Simms is already in a state jail, while Brown is being held on $50,000 bail at McKean County Jail.
The officer on Sunday is expected to charge Simms and Brown, while the Elk County District Attorney’s Office will pursue the additional individuals.
