16 Sent Opioids In Stuffed Animals To Montco, Delco, Chesco: DA

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Sixteen people are facing charges after allegedly running a drug shipment scheme from California to Montgomery County, according to authorities.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's office said 15 people from the Greater Philadelphia area and one from Los Angeles are being charged with drug and firearms trafficking crimes, identity theft, and forgery.

Thirteen of the 16 have been arrested and three others are being sought.

The ring was spearheaded by Amir Green, 29, of Ardmore, authorities said.

Others charged in the case are Kadesah Wright, 24, of Philadelphia; Cory Scott, 19, of Ardmore; Willie Webster, 29, of Los Angeles; Julie Arthin 22, of Newtown Square; Sheena Byrd, 36, of Wayne; Dustin Gilmour, 31, of Wayne; Juanna Taylor, 29, of King of Prussia; Anthony Pollitt, 49, of Bryn Mawr; Farid Brown, 26, of Philadelphia; Theodore Gaines, 32, of Philadelphia;Michael Gaffney, 33, of Philadelphia; Robert Thorn, 30, of Philadelphia; Promise Hardnett, 43, of Philadelphia; Jamil King, 33, of Philadelphia; Tylil Lilly 22, of Philadelphia.

Hardnett, King, and Lilly are not in custody and anyone with information on their locations is asked to contact the Montgomery County Detective Bureau at (610) 278-3368 or Upper Merion Police at (610) 265-3232.

Authorities allege these 16 people worked together to get oxycodone pills shipped from California to apartments in King of Prussia, Exton, Chadds Ford, and Norristown that were rented under alleged fake and stolen identities.

According to the DA's office, the pills were put into stuffed teddy bear and rabbits then shipped to the county through the United States Postal Service.

Green and his conspirators also dealt in marijuana, THC cartridge, fentanyl, and gun trafficking, the DA's office alleges.

The charges stem from an investigation that began in February this year that examined shipment tracking, phone records, interviews, and more.

As authorities made arrests of the 16, they found 432 oxycodone pills, fentanyl, cocaine, roughly 1,300 grams of marijuana, 152 THC vaporizer cartridges, and opioid cutting agents.

Also seized were firearms with obliterated serial numbers.

Arraignments were held for a number of defendants on June 19. The bails were set at $100,000 cash each for Arthin, Byrd, Gilmour and Pollitt; set bail at $250,000 cash each for Gaines, Gaffney, Taylor and Thorn; set bail at $500,000 cash for Brown and Wright.

Additionally, Green was arraigned on June 20 and had set bail at $500,000 cash. Scott was arrested on June 21 and had bail at $500,000 cash.

Webster was arrested in California on June 19. He will be extradited to Montgomery County to face these charges.

All, save for Webster, are slated for preliminary hearings on July 10.