Raid Shuts Down Suspected Meth Lab

A methamphetamine manufacturing lab was found at a
residence in this apartment complex on North 15th Street
in Wilson Borough, on the edge of the City of Easton.

Four people were arrested and charged with various offenses this morning after police raided a Wilson Borough apartment on the edge of the City of Easton this morning as part of drug trafficking investigation.

The Easton Police Department's Vice/Narcotics Unit, Special Response Unit and Northampton County Drug Task Force executed a narcotics search warrant at 120 North 15th St. in Wilson Borough at about 6 a.m., according to a media release issued by the department.

Twelve people were found at the residence, including four juveniles. All but two of the people found in the home at the time are residents at the address, police said.

Arrested and charged were:

• Thomas Stocker Jr., 30, charged with manufacturing of a controlled substance
• Ferdinand Inacay, 47, charged with manufacturing of a controlled substance
• Tarick Badger, 18, for possession of a small amount of marijuana
• Lindsey Whitney, arrested on a county bench warrant

Stocker and Inacay were residents of the raided residence, police said. It is unclear where the other two that were arrested reside.

A several weeks-long investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in Easton is what led to the raid and subsequent arrests, police said.

While searching the residence, authorities found evidence associated with methamphetamine manufacturing, and as a result, the Pennsylvania State Police Clandestine Laboratory Team was contacted and processed the scene, Easton Police said. They added that the lab was not operating, and the special team was called due to possible hazards associated with handling and transporting the chemicals such set-ups typically involve.
No one was injured during the event, police said.

Updated at 2:08 p.m.

Two Arrested in West Ward Narcotics Raid

The Easton Police Department has announced they have arrested two suspects after executing a narcotics search warrant earlier this evening.

Just before 7 p.m., EPD vice/narcotics officers, the special response units and members of the Northampton County Drug Task Force raided 1227 Spruce St., and arrested Derrick Parks Jr., 18, of Easton, and Teaun Range, 20, of Plainfield, NJ.

Parks was the target of a vice squad investigation in response to numerous neighbor complaints, police said. He will be charged with delivery of a controlled substance, the report added, though the specific substance was not mentioned.

Range is charged with possession of cocaine, heroin and a small amount of marijuana. He is to be cited via summons, police report.

"The suspected drug dealers were taking the property over from an elderly tenant and conducting their illegal activity," said Lt. Matthew Gerrould via a press release. "One of the suspected drug dealers is a suspect in a robbery earlier this year. This was a robbery of a civilian several months ago which occurred in the 100 block of Northampton Street. We are not releasing any other information  relating to the robbery at this time in order to not compromise the investigation."

Police said no one was injured during the operation, and the investigation into the robbery as well as other suspected drug dealers possibly operating from the property is ongoing.

The building at 1227 Spruce St. is listed in Northampton County property records as being a single-family house, owned by Shane and Jessice Newell, of the same address.

Eight Arrested in Downtown Narcotics Raid

The Easton Police Department has announced that eight people were arrested in a drug raid Wednesday evening at 613 Ferry St.

The EPD Vice/Narcotics Unit had been investigating local heroin and crack sales and also acted in response to numerous neighbor complaints taken about theproperty in the last several weeks, they said.

After conducting a warrant search at about 6:55 p.m., about $300 worth of crack cocaine was recovered from the residence, police reported.

Police also said suspected drug dealers who did not reside at this property were utilizing it for the sale of narcotics.

"Numerous dealers were utilizing this property at different times throughout the day. The renters were suspected of allowing dealers to sell at the property in exchange for narcotics," police said in a press release.

Arrested were:

• Eric Ellerbe, 22, of Brooklyn, NY, charged with possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, a felony
• Daniel Young, 33, of Bethlehem Township, on an EPD warrant for tampering with evidence and possession of heroin
• Daren Philhower, 44, of Bangor, for possession of drug paraphernalia
• Benjamin Harris-49, of Easton, for possession of drug paraphernalia
• Eugene Evans, 47, of Easton, for possession of drug paraphernalia
• Miguel Rodriguez Rodriguez, 37, of Easton, for possession of drug paraphernalia
• Benjamin Peeples, 73, of 613 Ferry St., Easton, for possession of drug paraphernalia
• Lisa Griffin, 50, of 613 Ferry St., Easton, for possession of drug paraphernalia

Ellerbe and Young are in police custody and will be arraigned on the charges this evening, police said.

The others were released and will be charged by summons for misdemeanors as listed, they said.

The investigation is ongoing, police added.

Update, Thursday, October 18, 2:25 p.m.: Ellerbe and Young were arraigned before on-call District Judge Joseph Barner in Lower Nazareth Township Wednesday night and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of bail, set at $25,000 for Ellerbe and $2,500 for Young.

The house at 613 Ferry St., which was the site of an alleged altercation that led to the fatal stabbing of  William Thompson in July, is owned by Antoinette Boutros of Palmer Township, according to Northampton County property records.