Officers from the Blair County Drug Task Force arrested two suspected out-of-town drug dealers Friday after receiving a tip during an early morning raid.
Eighteen of 27 suspects had been arrested by Friday afternoon, authorities said.
One of those targets was Dennis W. Beckwith of 115 16th St., who police arrested about 7 a.m. Also in the home was Corey Lamar Hughes of Williamsport. He was found in a second-floor child's bedroom with marijuana and $650, a search warrant application stated. An additional $1,112 was found under a nearby baby mattress.
Article Photos
(Mirror photo by J.D. Cavrich)
Altoona police Cpl. Mary Hogan escorts a suspect at the National Guard Armory Friday morning after a drug bust.
Police learned from Beckwith about a man nicknamed "Foo" or "Ref" who was staying at a room at Motel 6 in Logan Township. They were told Foo had sold drugs in the motel room Thursday and that Hughes, working with Foo, sold about $2,000 worth of heroin, crack cocaine and powdered cocaine from Beckwith's home Thursday, the document stated.
Armed with this information, police arrested Hughes and obtained a search warrant from Magisterial District Judge Steven D. Jackson to search the motel room.
Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio said that as police approached the motel, Foo and a young woman drove away.
Fact Box
The arrested
= Lori Ann Abram, 1113 N. Fourth St.; two counts each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; Suboxone.
= Joshua James Claar, 303 60th St., Apt. D; two counts each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
= Deborah Jean Scott, Blair County Prison; four counts each of delivery and possession and one count each of conspiracy and criminal use of a communications facility; heroin/crack cocaine.
= Dennis Lamont Corbett, Blair County Prison; one count each of conspiracy, delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
= Christopher G. George, 121 Sixth Ave.; two counts each of conspiracy and criminal use of a communications facility and one count each of delivery, possession and theft; heroin.
= Timothy J. Ickes, Blair County Prison; two counts each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
= Seth W. Moore, 1550 Logan Ave., Tyrone; two counts each of delivery and possession and one count of criminal use of a communications facility; methadone.
= Catherine G. Palmer, 911 Green Ave., Apt. 1114; two counts each of delivery and possession and three counts of criminal use of a communications facility; Vicodin.
= Sherry A. Pugh, 1009 16th Ave., second floor; two counts each of criminal conspiracy, delivery and possession and one count of criminal use of a communications facility; crack cocaine.
= Dennis W. Beckwith, 1151/2 16th St.; two counts each of conspiracy, delivery and possession and one count of criminal use of a communications facility; crack cocaine.
= Teqila D. Claar, 1151/2 16th St; one count each of conspiracy, delivery and possession; crack cocaine.
= Lisa M. Schmidt, 807 Seventh Ave.; two counts of conspiracy and one count each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility, possession and possession of a counterfeit substance; cocaine.
= Frank M. Thompson, 304 11th St.; one count of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
= Brian L. Wood, 413 Forrest Drive, Ebensburg; one count each of delivery and possession; fentanyl.
= Christina Santa Maria, 1151/2 16th St.; one count each of false identification and possession; heroin.
= Erica Blair, Pennsdale; drug charges pending.
= Faraaj Houston, Willow Grove; drug charges pending.
= Corey Hughes, Williamsport; drug charges pending.
The wanted
= Antonio Joseph Williams, 1110 14th Ave., second floor; one count each of conspiracy, delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
= James A. Dawson, address unknown, Altoona; one count each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; crack cocaine.
= Justin P. Seilhamer, 714 S. Kettle St.; two counts of conspiracy and one count of theft; heroin.
= Eugene A. Horton, 1607 18th Ave.; one count each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; marijuana.
= Angela M. Miller, 904 Third Ave.; two counts each of delivery and possession and one count of criminal use of a communications facility; Suboxone.
= Davon Mobley, 1412 17th Ave.; two counts of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession and one count of conspiracy; Ecstasy/heroin.
= Craig A. Fouse, 217 E. 26th Ave.; one count each of delivery and possession; morphine.
= Shawn F. Koch, 428 Cherry Ave., rear; one count each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
= Eric D. Resig, 2621 Walnut Ave., Apt. A; one count each of delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and possession; heroin.
Police gave chase and stopped the vehicle in the Plank Road Sheetz parking lot. They took two people into custody identified as Faraaj Houston of Willow Grove and Erica Blair of Pennsdale.
Hughes, Blair and Houston were taken to the National Guard Armory off Frankstown Road, where they were booked along with other drug suspects.
The search of the motel room continued into the afternoon with 35 grams of crack cocaine and 118 packets of heroin being seized, police said. A vehicle also was searched.
Had police not moved quickly to secure the motel room, Houston would have eluded arrest, Consiglio said.
One potentially violent incident was diffused at a Sixth Avenue home.
Officers went to arrest Christopher G. George of 121 Sixth Ave. on heroin charges. He locked himself in an upstairs bathroom and said he was armed, police said.
Agent James Walstrom of the state Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation said George surrendered after a discussion with police, and he was not armed.
George told Magisterial District Judge Todd F. Kelly that it was "a kind of a misunderstanding." Kelly committed him to Blair County Prison in lieu of $40,000 cash bail.
Two other people were arrested for allegedly selling medicine used to treat heroin addictions.
Lori Ann Abram, 1113 N. Fourth St., was charged with selling a heroin substitute, Suboxone, on two occasions, while Seth W. Moore, 1550 Logan Ave., Tyrone, was arrested for selling a bottle of methadone pills, police said.
A third person, Angela M. Miller of 904 Third Ave., was wanted by police for the alleged sale of Suboxone.
Regional Director Randy Feathers of the Attorney General's Office said Suboxone is a drug often prescribed by physicians.
Catherine G. Palmer, 62, of 911 Green Ave., Apt. 1114, was offered a ride by Allegheny Township police after she was arrested on charges she allegedly sold Vicodin to Altoona Detective Sgt. Troy Johannides on two occasions in September.
She was released on $20,000 unsecured bail after Allegheny Sgt. Leo Berg said she was cooperative during the arrest and gave him and Chief, P. Richard Books a statement.
Palmer said she would walk to a 12th Avenue location, but Books offered the ride, saying, "We'll see that you get there," because of the inclement weather.
Consiglio summed up Friday's raid as involving multiple drugs, and he concluded that many of the arrests stemmed from information left on the Push Out the Pusher hot line.
"The citizens of Blair County are cooperating," he said.
Mirror Staff Writer Phil Ray is at 946-7468. Mirror Staff Writer Mark Leberfinger is at 946-7462.
