BRADFORD COUNTY, Pa. UPDATE (WETM) – The Bradford County Drug Task Force and District Attorney’s Office announced that 27 people were accused of over 160 charges on August 17, 2022 in connection to a county-wide drug bust called “Operation Jet Sweep”.
The announcement said that the investigation lasted nine months and led to dozens of felony and misdemeanor charges against the 27 individuals.
The list of arrestees is Alyssa Kolosky (22), Corey Strope (44), Edward McGowan III (40), Haylee Bastion (27), Jason Marshall (54), John Leonard (43), Joseph Johnson (32), Karley Johnson (28), Keith Harbst Jr. (32), Leslie Bailey (61), Lisa Winebarger (55), Mary Jane Pettit (31), Maxine Ott (64), Mitch Johnson (29), Nicholas Hopkins (38), Pearl Johnson (55), Richard Thomas (44), Robert Bump Jr. (27), Ryan Allis (27), Rylee Carr (24), Scott Sutton (52), Shelby Nonnemacher (39), Thomas McGowan (39), Tyler McCormick (29), Zowie Dean (28), and two other individuals.
Earlier in the day on August 18, 18 News confirmed six of the suspects were connected to the sweep.
In total, the arrests carried:
- 54 felony counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance
- 4 felony counts of Criminal Conspiracy of Delivery of a Controlled Substance
- 18 felony counts of Criminal Use of a Telecommunication Facility
- 55 misdemeanor counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance
- 31 misdemeanor counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
The DA’s office said seven of the people charged were already in jail on unrelated charges and 10 others were arrested and arraigned. The other 10 have active warrants out for their arrest, the announcement said.
Multiple agencies helped with the bust, the press release said. These included Athens Borough Police Athens Township Police, Sayre Borough Police, Towanda Borough Police, Troy Borough Police, Bradford County Sheriff’s Office, and Pennsylvania State Police Narcotics Unit.
According to affidavits filed against six of the suspects, law enforcement and detectives used Confidential Informants (CI) to buy methamphetamine and heroin from the suspects, starting in January and ending in mid-August.
The controlled purchases began in December 2021 when law enforcement used a CI to buy heroin from Nicholas Hopkins, 39, at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Towanda.
Court documents confirmed that the police presence at the Troy Motel in July 2022 was also part of the investigation. Lisa Winebarger, 55, was arrested after a bust at the motel on July 22, 2022. Police set up an operation to buy a controlled amount of drugs from Winebarger.
A criminal complaint filed against a Jason Marshall, 54, said he was also part of at least two other controlled buys involving Winebarger, in April and May 2022. At the beginning of the year, police used a CI to buy meth from Marshall on two separate occasions in January 2022.
In February 2022, police again used a CI to buy meth from Pearl Johnson, 56, near the Burger King parking lot in Towanda.
Then in May and June, a CI was used to buy meth from Zowie Dean, 28, at an apartment on Merrill Parkway in Towanda Borough.
The final charges against 25-year-old Rylee Carr stemmed from an August 14 call. Police reportedly found heroin and meth in a dresser drawer in Carr’s bedroom in Standing Stone Township.
Johnson, Dean, and Winebarger were taken to jail on $100,00, $40,000, and $150,000 bail respectively. Johnson and Dean both have preliminary hearings scheduled for August 31, 2022.
As a result of the investigations, the suspects faced the following charges:
- Nicholas Hopkins
- Manufacture, Delivery, Possession with intent to Manufacture or Deliver
- Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance
- Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Lisa Winebarger
- Manufacture, Delivery, Possession with intent to Manufacture or Deliver
- Jason Marshall
- Manufacture, Delivery, Possession with intent to Manufacture or Deliver
- Criminal Conspiracy Engaging
- Criminal Use of Communication Facility
- Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance
- Pearl Johnson
- Manufacture, Delivery, Possession with intent to Manufacture or Deliver
- Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance
- Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Zowie Dean
- Manufacture, Delivery, Possession with intent to Manufacture or Deliver
- Criminal Use of Communication Facility
- Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance
- Rylee Carr
- Intentional Possession of Controlled Substance
- Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia