PA Attorney General Corbett Announces Charges Against Six Accused Of Trafficking Heroin In Lackawanna County

December 13, 2007 -- HARRISBURG - As many as six individuals accused of trafficking more than $1 million worth of heroin throughout Lackawanna County, were arrested today by agents from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation, which began in March 2007, focused on the drug trafficking activities of Bobby "Billion" McCarrel Jr., 36, 1507 Luzerne St., Scranton.

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The charges state that McCarrel was identified as a significant heroin dealer in the Scranton area by a confidential informant, who also identified McCarrel's girlfriend Vikkilyn Gadson as his main assistant in this drug trafficking enterprise.

Corbett said that over the course of the investigation, agents and confidential informants made a series of 24 controlled purchases of heroin from McCarrel and his associates.

According to the charges, telephone calls for drug orders were placed to McCarrel or Gadson and then they used one of several delivery persons to deliver the heroin.

Corbett said that Diane Soto, Martin McGraw, Kevin Smith and Smith's girlfriend, Jennifer Summa, all made deliveries for the McCarrel operation. Soto allegedly was the main delivery person in the organization and made 13 separate deliveries of heroin during the course of the investigation.

The charges state that the organization delivered heroin at local fast food restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls and business parking lots.

Agents found that 21,714 calls were made between June 28 and November 19 on the phone used by McCarrel to conduct his drug trafficking activities.

Over the course of the investigation, over 300 bags of heroin were purchased with an estimated street value of over $6,000. The organization was allegedly responsible for selling 2,000 bags of heroin a week in the Scranton area.

Corbett noted that this organization is one of the largest heroin trafficking rings in the Scranton area since the arrest of 27 individuals as part of "Operation Smackdown" in December 2006.

"Unfortunately when drug organizations are shut-down there becomes an opening for their product on the streets," Corbett said. "McCarrel's organization took advantage of that demand and flooded the streets of Scranton with thousands of bags of heroin a week.

Corbett thanked the Scranton Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.

The defendants will be arraigned before Lackawanna County Magisterial District Judge Robert Russell. They will be prosecuted in Lackawanna County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Robert O'Hara of the Attorney General's Drug Strike Force Section.

Below is a complete list of the defendants and the charges against them.

-- Bobby "Billion" McCarrel, 36, 1507 Luzerne St., Scranton, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

-- Vikkilyn Gadson, 37 1507 Luzerne St., Scranton, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

-- Diane Soto, 40, 709 Layton Road, Clarks Summit, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

-- Martin McGraw, 36, 1218 Bennett St., Old Forge, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

-- Kevin Smith, 30, 1079 Spring St., Old Forge, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

-- Jennifer Summa, 36, 1079 Spring St., Old Forge, is charged with one count each of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin and criminal use of a communications facility.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

Source: Pennsylvania Attorney General