Methamphetamine ring that delivered to Lehigh Valley broken up, authorities report

A Pennsylvania grand jury recommends charges against 27 people in the state.

A methamphetamine ring that brought bulk amounts of the drug into Reading and Philadelphia for distribution in the Lehigh Valley, among other places, was headed by a Pottstown, Pa., man and a Tioga County, Pa., man, authorities announced this morning during a news conference in Philadelphia.

A statewide grand jury recommended charges against 27 people involved in the operation that brought in as much as a pound of meth every two weeks, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly, Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan announced in a joint news release.

The ring netted as much as $3.5 million in sales between 2007 and 2011, they said.

Robert H. Snyder, 53, of Pottstown, and Wesley B. White, 53, of Roaring Branch in Tioga County, were at the forefront of the investigation, authorities said.

Bulk quantities of the drugs were delivered from Mexico to Snyder in Reading, authorities said. Snyder provided the drugs to White, who used dealers in Berks and Tioga counties to sell smaller quantities of the meth, authorities said, citing the grand jury.

Distributors and traffickers were "feeding street level dealers" in the Lehigh Valley, including Northampton County, Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office spokesman Nils Frederiksen said.

Snyder and White also moved drugs from other sources, authorities report.

The investigation followed the path of the drugs including into Bucks County, and at one point, a raid at the home of Sim Bradley in Philadelphia led to 173 grams of meth and $20,000 cash, authorities said.

Agents from the attorney general’s office, state troopers and Bucks County detectives used court-authorized wiretaps, along with more than 30 undercover drug buys and controlled purchases to identify various suppliers, distributors and dealers connected to the organization, authorities said.

Those charged:
Robert H. Snyder, 53, of Pottstown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, unlawful possession of a firearm, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Wesley B. White, 53, of Roaring Branch, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Raul Cosme, 38, of Milford, Del., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Sherwood W. White, 63, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

John S. Hodgson, 62, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Francis Gulich, 62, of Philadelphia, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Sim Bradley, 72, of Philadelphia, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 20 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Marlene A. Albrecht, 46, of Bristol Township, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, six counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Joseph C. Bogner, 47, of Bristol Township, Pa., is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a communications facility and related offenses.

Dean Bowers, 46, of Doylestown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 16 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Grady L. Dennis Jr., 46, of Philadelphia, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Nancy M. Diaz, 53, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 12 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Joseph R. Hodgson, 65, of Yardley, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Scott A. Hopkinson Sr., 42, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, nine counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Barbara Kasper, 39, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance.

Mark W. Kasper, 39, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

John McDonald, 61, formerly of Morrisville, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Elizabeth J. Naylon, 46, of Ivyland, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 13 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Joseph M. Ragnoli, 44, of Wycombe, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 21 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Judson R. Route, 52, of Roaring Branch, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, seven counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Alexander Schepelenko, 66, of Morrisville, Pa., is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a communications facility and related offenses.

James Howard Simmers Sr., of Levittown, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

John D. Taylor, 53, of Churchville, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 16 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Jeffrey A. Terry, 53, of Alsace Township, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, 11 counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Philip M. Tomasella, 40, of Levittown, Pa., is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a communications facility and related offenses.

Tina Marie Wagner-Erb, 51, of Bensalem, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, eight counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.

Lee Scott Wasser, 47, of Perkasie, Pa., is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy, unlawful use of a communications facility, dealing in unlawful proceeds and related offenses.