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Probe targets $10M ring

Authorities allege ringleader, associates peddled millions of dollars worth of drugs

Mirror photos by Greg Bock / Damon “Fat Cat” Devine, 40, of Philadelphia is led away from Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner’s office on Union Street in Hollidaysburg on Monday by Altoona police Cpl. Ben Meintel following his arraignment on more than two dozen felony drug counts. Altoona and state narcotics investigators allege Devine operated a $10-million drug operation that pumped more than 780,000 packets of “Dragon” heroin and kilos of crack cocaine into Blair and Cambria counties during 13 months between 2016 and early 2017.

Sitting in an orange Blair County Prison jumpsuit, Damon “Fat Cat” Devine listened quietly Monday morning as Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner read aloud a list of felony charges stemming from Devine’s alleged role as the head of a multi-million dollar heroin and cocaine trafficking ring operating in Blair and Cambria counties.

Monday’s charges come on the heels of a statewide investigating grand jury into Devine and his 15 associates that prosecutors allege pumped up to $10 million worth of drugs onto the streets of Blair and Cambria counties, including $7.8 million in heroin.

Altoona police Sgt. Christopher Moser told Judge Aigner that Devine’s organization brought more than 700,000 bags of heroin, most of which were stamped “Dragon,” into the area from Philadelphia and New Jersey between January 2016 and Feb. 13, 2017, when Devine was arrested up as part of a buy-bust operation at an Altoona motel where police allegedly bought 13 bricks of heroin, equaling 650 bags.

Devine, a New Jersey native with a Philadelphia address, lived with his girlfriend at 179 Strayer St., Johnstown. A search of the home after his arrest allegedly turned up close to $9,000 in cash, 200 more bricks of heroin, an ounce of marijuana and about 3 ounces of crack cocaine.

On top of that, on Aug. 15, 2016, Devine was the passenger in a 2004 BMW owned by his girlfriend that was involved in a state police chase in Philadelphia on the Schuylkill Expressway that ended in a crash and the seizure by state police of 3,750 bags of heroin, 127 grams of cocaine, owe sheets and three cellphones.

Devine was out on bail in that arrest when he was arrested in Altoona in February, and Moser indicated to the judge Monday that the charges in Montgomery County will be withdrawn and added to the charges filed Monday as part of the grand jury investigation.

The driver of the BMW, Jabu Robinson, 37, of Philadelphia was brought to Blair County on Sunday night and appeared Monday for arraignment on charges stemming from the grand jury.

Moser told the judge that along with the heroin, about 19,000 grams of crack were brought into Blair and Cambria counties by Devine and his assortment of associates and dealers during that 13-month period.

That’s a low-end estimate, Moser told the court, based on the three trips a week between Philadelphia and Johnstown that investigators learned Devine and his associates were making in that 13-month span.

Immediately after Devine’s arraignment Monday morning, the 40-year-old allegedly assaulted another defendant in the holding area of Aigner’s Union Street office. Police did not identify the co-defendant that Devine allegedly hit with his handcuffed hands, but Moser said he will be charged with aggravated assault by a prisoner, simple assault, intimidation of a witness and other counts.

The case against Devine and the men and women he allegedly recruited to transport and sell his supply of heroin and crack cocaine involved several individuals who ultimately testified against Devine before the grand jury, including his girlfriend, Jasmine McGowan, 27, of Johnstown.

McGowan told the grand jury that Devine had people drive the drugs into the Johnstown area from Philadelphia and New Jersey with a minimum of 100 bricks — equal to 5,000 packets — brought in two to three times each week. Sometimes Devine would go along on these trips and sometimes she would make the drive as well, although in a separate car.

McGowan also told the grand jury who Devine had selling drugs for him.

According to the grand jury, James “Jimmy” Miller, 28, of Johnstown, sold heroin for Devine in both Blair and Cambria counties. On Sept. 28, 2016, police allegedly bought two bricks of heroin, or 100 packets, from Miller at a home in Johnstown. That sale was allegedly recorded on video by police and in the video, about 5 ounces of cocaine can be seen on a scale. Two other people charged on Monday, Richard Govier, 39, of Stoystown and Kristy Hicks, 38, of Altoona, are also in the room.

Govier and Hicks are implicated in the sale of a brick of “Dragon” heroin for $450 on Dec. 1 on the 200 block of Plank Road as well as two heroin sales in January of this year. On Jan. 4, the pair allegedly sold another brick of “Dragon” heroin to a police informant in the area of 18th Street and Third Avenue for $450 and on Jan. 6, they allegedly sold 50 more bags stamped “Dragon” to an informant at the Altoona Grand Hotel.

The grand jury heard testimony that Aaron Beard, 50, of Altoona sold 10 packets, referred to as a bundle, of “Dragon” heroin to an informant in Altoona on Dec. 13. During that sale, Beard allegedly told the informant that “his sources of heroin were the ‘main people’ now,” according to the grand jury’s presentment of the case. Beard went on to tell the informant that his new sources were Govier and Hicks because Miller had gone to jail in Cambria County after a police chase.

Another Altoona man charged on Monday, Phillip Stevens, 30, was arrested earlier this year and told police that he started getting “Dragon” heroin from Govier and Hicks in April 2016.

Stevens told investigators he only got bundles of heroin at first, but by November he was buying bricks of heroin. He said he usually got one or two bricks at a time but had received up to five bricks. Sometimes, Govier and Hicks would direct him to Beard, Stevens allegedly said. Stevens, who also used heroin, said the source for all the heroin was “Cat.”

On Monday, using a cane to walk while handcuffed, “Fat Cat” Devine was soft spoken as Judge Aigner asked him about his criminal history. Devine said he has spent time in state prison and has “three or four” prior drug convictions.

“No, more than four,” he told the judge, adding the most recent was for crack cocaine and that he was last released from prison in 2011.

When asked by Judge Aigner what stance the Commonwealth had on Devine’s bail, Moser stressed the severity of the allegations and that Devine was the head of the multi-million dollar drug trafficking operation.

“We are asking that bail be set in the area of $1 million dollars,” Moser told the court.

“That’s exactly the number I just wrote down,” Judge Aigner said. “It’s appropriate Mr. Devine. It’s overwhelming.”

“Yes ma’am,” Devine responded.

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