From Staff Reports

LOCK HAVEN– Clinton County District Attorney Dave Strouse and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General announced the arrest of 29 alleged drug dealers operating in Clinton County. The arrests yesterday are the culmination of a year-long cooperative investigation between the PA Office of Attorney General, and the Clinton County Drug Task Force into the distribution of controlled substances in Clinton County.

The investigation focused primarily on the trafficking of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription medication throughout the county.

Over the course of the investigation law enforcement made a series of 41 controlled purchases utilizing confidential informants and undercover officers/agents. Of those 41 controlled purchases, 12 were for Crystal Methamphetamine, three were for cocaine, 10 were for marijuana, two were for LSD, and 14 were for prescription medications such as Suboxone, Subutex, Adderall, and Xanax. Suboxone and Subutex are frequently abused prescription medications that are intended to be used to treat opiate addiction.

The controlled purchases were made in the Lock Haven City, Mill Hall Borough, Woodward Township, Avis Borough and surrounding municipalities.

On Friday morning, law enforcement officers from more than a dozen agencies descended on Clinton County to serve felony arrest warrants on the suspected drug dealers.

Participating agencies included the Pine Creek Township Police Department, Lock Haven City Police Department, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Clinton County Parole and Probation, Keystone Central School District Police, the Clinton County District Attorney’s Office, the Clinton County Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, US Marshalls, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and additional departments from adjacent counties.

Using the U.S. Army National Guard’s 728th Main Support Battalion Armory in Lockport as a staging area, officials began picking up suspects in the area about 8 a.m.

Dozens of marked police and sheriff’s department vehicles, along with unmarked vehicles, came and left from a parking area behind the armory throughout the day.

Many returned with a suspect in handcuffs and escorted them into the building.

Some returned alone, obviously unable to find the suspect they were looking for.

One officer said he found an empty apartment. Another shook his head and said noboby was home.

The suspects were taken inside the armory for processing and then transported to the county jail. At one point, a group of handcuffed suspects exited the building together and were transported to the jail in a van.

The defendants will be preliminarily arraigned at Clinton County Central Booking before Magisterial District Judges Keith Kibler and John Maggs. All suspects will be prosecuted by Clinton County District Attorney’s Office.