PA AG: Seven arrested in trafficking pounds of meth into Pennsylvania from New York
Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday, Jr. announced the arrest of the following people on Tuesday, June 10, for their alleged involvement in the operation that spread the counties of Potter, McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Warren.
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.
Pennsylvanians can now carry concealed firearms in 30th state
All seven were arrested on the charges of felony possession with the intent to deliver, conspiracy, and other related offenses.
Attorney General Sunday said that Simms and Brown worked together while others operated alone.
Simms is considered a mid-level dealer and is accused of trafficking between 30 and 40 pounds of meth in one year from New York.
As mentioned above, Simms is already incarcerated in a state prison, but Brown is at the McKean County Prison on $50,000 bail.
Sunday's officer is expected to prosecute Simms and Brown while the Elk County District Attorney's Office will prosecute the remaining people.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Boston Globe
15 hours ago
- Boston Globe
R.I. prosecutor told police to turn off a body-worn camera during her arrest. Do officers have to comply?
'I want you to turn your body cam off,' Devon Flanagan tells an officer during the Aug. 14 confrontation, Content Warning: Profanity. Body camera footage shows R.I. Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan and Veronica Hannan being arrested in Newport. 'Protocol is that you turn it off if a citizen requests to turn it off,' Flanagan said. Is that true? Not really, experts say. 'The state's body-worn camera policy is very clear that the request to turn off the cameras is something that an officer should consider, if asked by a victim or a witness to a crime – not to somebody who was suspected of the crime,' said Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'And it remains within the discretion of the police officer in any event,' Brown added. 'It's not an obligation.' Advertisement Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association President Thomas Oates III said officers in the Newport incident were 'well within policy.' 'I don't know that young lady, what knowledge she has of body-worn camera policy or what she thought it was, but whatever she was saying, she was inaccurate,' said Oates, who is also the chief of police in Woonsocket. Under the Advertisement Police could also decide to deactivate a camera in 'areas where there may be a reasonable expectation of privacy and [in] other sensitive locations,' the policy states. Those areas could include private residences, locker rooms, law offices, schools, daycare facilities, certain places in hospitals or clinics, and where 'First Amendment rights are being exercised,' including places of worship, newsrooms, and where peaceful protests are taking place, the policy states. Officers recording in those areas 'shall be mindful not to record beyond what is necessary to capture contact with members of the public, effect an arrest, or search for an individual,' according to the policy. Whether police mute or stop the recording, or only record audio in those areas should based on whether an officer 'observes activities or circumstances of a sensitive or private nature,' or if there are people present who are not involved with the police matter; who are minors; and who are witnesses and want anonymity, the policy states. Brown noted the alleged incident in Newport 'was out in public.' 'These are precisely the circumstances where the body cameras should be activated,' he said. Officers 'acted appropriately in not turning the camera off,' Brown said. Timothy Rondeau, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office, said on Monday that Flanagan's request is not part of the statewide body-worn camera policy, and confirmed the policy applies only to victims and witnesses of crimes. According to Oates, departments adopted provisions of the statewide policy to receive funding when Advertisement The Newport police Lieutenant Robert Salter, a department spokesperson, wrote in an email the department would not comment further on Tuesday regarding last week's incident. According to Oates, the decision for police to record depends on the circumstances. 'Obviously a case where there's an alleged disturbance involved, or someone potentially acting in a disorderly manner and is argumentative and doesn't want to comply with the commands of the police officers to clear them from an area, we're never going to turn the body camera off,' Oates said. Oates has not heard of many people requesting not to be recorded, he said. 'This is why it's important that body-worn cameras are existent,' Oates said. 'In a lot of cases, what it does is it causes people who are behaving badly to ... calm down and not behave badly when they know that they're being recorded and their actions are being documented.' It doesn't always work that way though, Oates said. Related : In Newport on Aug. 14, officers arrived around 9:51 p.m. at 24 Bannister's Wharf – the Clark Cooke House restaurant – after receiving a report of an intoxicated woman – later identified as Veronica Hannan – refusing to leave, police wrote in a report. During the encounter caught on video, Flanagan, who was with Hannan, repeatedly tells officers to turn off the camera. She also tells them several times, 'I'm an A.G.,' and as she is placed in a cruiser, she says, 'You're going to regret this.' Advertisement Police identified Flanagan as Devon Hogan, 34, of Warwick. The Attorney General's Office confirmed that Hogan and Flanagan are the same person. She was charged with willful trespass – a misdemeanor – and was given a summons to appear in court. Salter would not provide the court date on Tuesday. Flanagan has not returned requests for comment, and it was unclear on Tuesday whether she had obtained an attorney. Speaking on He said he gives police credit 'for treating her like everybody else,' and acknowledged Flanagan was incorrect about camera policy. 'She's embarrassed herself – humiliated herself – treated the Newport Police Department horribly,' Neronha said, adding that it was 'inexcusable behavior.' Still, it has been difficult to find and retain 'capable lawyers,' Neronha noted. If Flanagan keeps her job, she will not 'go on as if nothing happened,' Neronha said. 'There'll be a strong sanction here,' he said. Officers can also be seen on the video struggling to apprehend Hannan, 34, of Westport, Conn. She was arrested and charged with willful trespass, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest – all misdemeanors, police said. Court records show Hannan was arraigned on Friday in Newport County District Court, where a plea of not guilty was entered. She was released on $1,000 personal recognizance and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 27. 'Veronica is obviously overwhelmed by this experience. It happened so quickly and with a lot of energy,' John R. Grasso, an attorney representing Hannan, wrote in an email requesting comment on Tuesday. 'Once we have the facts and she processes it, maybe we can speak more then.' Advertisement A now-removed LinkedIn profile listed Hannan as a senior manager for data and AI product management at PepsiCo. PepsiCo did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday. Asked about any concerns the ACLU has about government officials making comments to police such as those Flanagan allegedly made, Brown said officials can say 'whatever they want' during run-ins with the law. 'The question is how police officers react and whether they end up giving special treatment to somebody because they're a government official,' Brown said. 'In this case, they didn't.' Christopher Gavin can be reached at


Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
The 44 Percent: Tips for Black businesses and Trina at SeaWorld
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department would be under federal control and deployed the National Guard to the city, claiming it was crime-ridden and needed to be under control. The decision caught D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser off guard, who admitted there isn't much they could do. 'While this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised,' Bowser said during a press conference. Some have said the decision to put more policing in a community already experiencing a downward trend in violent crime – the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia announced D.C.'s violent crime rate hit a 30-year low – is a reminder of the racist rhetoric projected onto Black communities, particularly those in urban areas. As Matt Brown with the Associated Press reported: 'The president foreshadowed that if these heavy-handed tactics take root here, they will be rolled out to other majority-Black and Brown cities, like Chicago, Oakland and Baltimore, across the country,' said Monica Hopkins, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union's D.C. chapter. 'We've seen before how federal control of the D.C. National Guard and police can lead to abuse, intimidation and civil rights violations — from military helicopters swooping over peaceful racial justice protesters in 2020 to the unchecked conduct of federal officers who remain shielded from full accountability,' Hopkins said. An examination of policing data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics by the Prison Policy Initiative shows Black people continue to experience racial disparities still with regard to arrests and use of force. So, suffice to say, there is imminent concern regarding the entry of the National Guard in Black communities. And while cities in Florida weren't named among Trump's list of places he's considering sending the National Guard (which coincidentally have Black mayors and large minority populations), it is worth wondering how long before Black communities in South Florida are even more of a target? 'Have to find a way:' Black leaders in Miami weigh defunded Overtown park's future An $82 million planned park in Overtown is out $60 million in federal funding after the Trump administration sent a letter rescinding the funds. While that is a hefty shortfall, communities leaders are searching for ways to find the money so the project can come to the historically Black neighborhood that experienced displacement in the 1960s due to the interstate being built in its community. 'Get your back office together': 6 tips from the Herald's Black business event Minority Business reporter Michael Butler held an event this week offering tips for budding and current Black business owners. The event, which featured, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce president and CEO G. Eric Knowles, marketing professional Suzan McDowell and Italian Vice founder Aamir Taylor. They offered tips on ensuring your paperwork is in order and how to market your business. Read a few tips from Butler's event in case you couldn't make it. These Black Miami neighborhoods may become a city. How does that work? Black communities in unincorporated Miami-Dade have begun the very early stages of determining if they should become a city. As residents contemplate what that means for them, I wrote an explainer on what that process looks like. Danielle 'Dee' Spencer, child star of '70s sitcom 'What's Happening!!,' dies at 60 Danielle Spencer, didn't miss a beat playing the younger, sarcastic and witty younger sister Deadra 'Dee' Thomas. But her personal story is one of perseverance: While a regular on the show, Spencer was in a severe car crash that killed her stepfather and left her in a coma for weeks. Spencer would eventually recover through physical therapy, and attended college while working on the show's spinoff 'What's Happening Now!!' and eventually became a veterinarian. She died Monday at 60 years young. We've seen the viral videos of Trina performing at SeaWorld. Our next thoughts were if it's going up like that, we need to be there. Well, VIBE Magazine reporter DeMicia Inman went to see the Baddest B*tch ) perform at SeaWorld San Diego's Summer Series. As Inman reported: Once the gates opened, attendees rushed to get a seat that commanded the best view of the 46-year-old hip-hop veteran. A sign displayed at the entrance warned that while the show was open to all ages, 'please be advised that this performance may include adult language and themes.' Posted in bold, bright lettering so it is not missed, Trina shared that even she was slightly taken aback by the booking. You'll have to read the rest to see how it turned out. Where does 'The 44 Percent' name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter's title.


Black America Web
6 days ago
- Black America Web
Trump Is Targeting Cities With Large Black Populations
Source: The Washington Post / Getty Donald Trump's latest 'anti-crime' crusade against Democratic-led, predominantly Black cities is a blatant lie. The 34-count felon turned grifter in chief doesn't care about crime; he's a criminal, and his latest propaganda push is nothing more than the preservation of a regime built on fear and racial division and another act in his decades-long performance of racist political theater. He's doing the same tired ol' routine of painting Black and Brown communities as dangerous, only to position himself as the 'law-and-order' savior while laying the groundwork for an authoritarian power grab; but the jig is up—Trump is not fighting crime; he's manufacturing it to dismantle democracy. His fixation on cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Oakland, and Chicago has nothing to do with reducing crime and everything to do with undermining democracy, targeting Black political leadership, and manufacturing a false narrative that paints Black and Brown communities as violent, dangerous, and in need of 'rescue,' in order for him to justify illegally taking control. We care about your data. See our privacy policy. This strategy is straight out of the authoritarian playbook: create a crisis where there isn't one, assign blame to a marginalized group, then use the fabricated emergency to consolidate power. For Trump, that means militarizing policing in Black cities, vilifying their leaders, and distracting his followers from the reality that violent crime in most major cities is down—not up—over the past two years. Data shows declines in violent crime, murders, and robberies. Oakland has seen significant drops in homicides. Baltimore just recorded its lowest homicide rate in over 50 years. Chicago's violent crime is down over 30%. Yet Trump trots out false, misleading statistics to paint these communities as hellscapes. Why? Because they have Black mayors, significant Black populations, and they vote against him in overwhelming numbers. While Trump points fingers, the truth is that the only convicted felon in this conversation is Donald J. Trump himself—a man who has been convicted of sexual assault, fraud, and who has repeatedly stiffed small business owners out of money owed. He's not interested in making Black communities safer—he's interested in dismantling the institutions that protect them, all while enriching himself and those bankrolling his political ambitions. In response to Trump's announcement that his administration would be taking over the city, the Washington Post reports officials in Washington, D.C., stated they were still in command of their police department, operating as usual, having received no new orders from the Trump administration. The city's police chief, Pamela A. Smith, has been supplying ideas about how federal law enforcement could be used by D.C. — not the other way around, but the White House, however, continued to project clear control. 'We plan to work with the D.C. police,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, 'but ultimately the chain of command is as such: The president of the United States; the attorney general of the United States; our DEA administrator, Terry Cole,' who she said 'is in charge of' the department and is 'working with the chief to ensure that law enforcement officers are allowed to do their jobs in this city.' On Tuesday evening, the White House announced the National Guard would begin to arrive on D.C.'s streets that night. Five Humvees lined the street at the corner of Jefferson Drive and 14th Street SW, between the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. National Guard troops walked the sidewalks that form walking paths around the monuments, as three DEA agents headed east toward the U.S. Capitol. This racist fearmongering is a smokescreen to distract from his own many failures and crimes. If we're talking about criminals that need removing from this country, let's start with Trump, his entire administration, and every enabler in Congress, statehouses, and boardrooms funding this regime. Because make no mistake, the clown in the seat is not the real danger—it's the regime of hatred paying him to dismantle America from within, to rewind the clock to an era when white supremacy was the law of the land. That's the real threat. The attack on predominantly Black cities is part of a broader strategy. Trump's targeting of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, his hostility toward Black billionaires, his focus on dismantling Black political influence, and his push to gut protections in education, housing, reproductive health, and environmental justice are all interconnected. These efforts are designed to keep Black and Brown Americans economically weakened, socially marginalized, and politically powerless. We've already seen the fallout since the great white heist began; over 300,000 Black women professionals have been laid off. Trump's interests in controlling college athletes' Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, his attacks on Hollywood and the Kennedy Center, and his assaults on Black-led educational and legal institutions all point to one thing—he's targeting the economic, cultural, and political engines of progress in our communities. Trump has already said the quiet part out loud. During his recent interview with CNBC, the disgraced president said that 'the inner city isn't going to work on the farms,' before outlining an indentured labor scheme where brown immigrants 'come to work and leave' because they 'do it naturally.' The over-policing of Black neighborhoods isn't just about intimidation—it's about filling prison beds when immigrant labor won't suffice. It's one step closer to the full authoritarian implementation of Project 2025, which is designed to strip away civil rights, consolidate executive power, and crush any community or institution that resists. Under its provisions, the president could wield near-unilateral authority over the federal government, erasing decades of legal safeguards designed to protect marginalized communities. Source: Andrew Leyden / Getty Project 2025 is not abstract—it is a clear and present danger to Black America across seven critical areas: • Civil Rights: It guts anti-discrimination laws and bars federal agencies from collecting racial demographic data, making it nearly impossible to enforce workplace protections. • Education: It dismantles the Department of Education, allowing discriminatory discipline to run rampant and making higher education even less accessible for Black students. • Political Power: By overhauling the Census and criminalizing election-related activity, it will suppress the Black vote and destabilize multiracial democracy. • Criminal Legal System: It expands the racially biased death penalty and abolishes consent decrees that hold police accountable for civil rights violations. • Housing: It hands affordable housing programs to states with histories of racial discrimination, threatening millions of Black low-income families. • Reproductive Rights: It bans federal access to abortion care, disproportionately harming Black women, who already face dangerously high maternal mortality rates. • Environmental Justice: It shutters the Office of Environmental Justice, allowing environmental racism to further poison Black communities. What we're witnessing is a modernized version of post-Reconstruction America, when Jim Crow laws stripped newly freed Black people of their constitutional rights, locking them out of political power, economic opportunity, and social equality. The playbook is the same—change the laws, control the narrative, suppress the vote, and weaponize the justice system. By invoking images of chaos in Black cities, Trump is not just playing to racist stereotypes—he's setting the stage for federal takeovers of local governance, replacing elected leaders with handpicked loyalists and eroding the very foundation of home rule. Washington, D.C., has already been subjected to this unprecedented seizure of power, and the list of targeted cities is growing. The bottom line is: Trump is lying and Trump is the criminal. The projection in his 'lock them up' chant is as transparent as it is tired. His lies about crime in Black-led cities are more than campaign rhetoric; they're part of a deliberate, well-funded scheme to erode democracy, suppress Black political power, and cement an authoritarian regime. The 'law and order' talk is nothing but code for racial domination and political control, and his repeated targeting of these cities is a direct assault on the progress made by generations of Black Americans. The only people who should be behind bars are the ones orchestrating this dismantling of democracy. It's time to stop treating this as politics as usual. This is a coordinated assault on truth, justice, and equality—and the regime funding the coup are betting we won't fight back. We've seen this move before, and we know how it ends if we don't act. It's time to clean house, America—before there's nothing left to save. America's biggest threat is not the residents of D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, or Oakland—it's the man in the Oval Office who sees democracy as an obstacle, truth as a liability, and the law as something that applies to everyone but himself. SEE ALSO: Black D.C. Is The Stage For Trump's Authoritarian Rehearsal Dean Cain's New Job: Being A Superhero For White Nationalism SEE ALSO Trump Is Targeting Cities With Large Black Populations was originally published on