Four people have been charged in a string of drug overdose deaths connected to a drug trafficking ring in Tyrone, according to court documents.

Arraigned this week were Kayle Marie Smith, 33, of Tyrone; Dalayne Cheyann Moyer, 26, of Altoona; Matthew Eric Rhoades, 42, of Tyrone; and Calil Ray Francois-Moon, 21, of Homestead.

Francois-Moon was arraigned Tuesday on 19 charges related to possession with intent to deliver, including three felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death. Bail was set at $25,000 and he was remanded to the Blair County Prison.

Rhoades was also arraigned Tuesday and faces 13 charges related to possession with intent to deliver drugs, including two felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death. Bail was set at $25,000 and he was remanded to the Blair prison.

Moyer was arraigned Monday on 13 charges related to possession with intent to deliver drugs, including two felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death. Moyer has multiple drug cases in Blair County. Her bail was set at $300,000 and she was remanded to prison.

Smith was arraigned Tuesday on seven charges related to possession with intent to deliver drugs, including a felony count of drug delivery resulting in death. Her bail was set at $25,000 and she was remanded to prison.

All four face preliminary hearings Jan. 27.

Feb. 19 overdose deaths spur probe

According to the affidavits of probable cause, state and local police began investigating after the Feb. 19 overdose death of Zane Garett Albright, 25, on the 5300 block of East Pleasant Valley Boulevard, Snyder Township.

Despite Narcan being administered, Albright was pronounced dead on the floor of this bedroom, court documents state. Police said there was powdery residue in his nostrils and a white powder substance on his dresser under a single dollar bill rolled up to form a straw. A glass smoking device with burnt residue was found on his mattress, the report states.

Albright’s death was the first of three overdose deaths on that date, police reported.

Police interviewed Albright’s girlfriend who said she and Albright went to Rhoades’ home at 107 Gladys Lane, Snyder Township.

State police contacted the Troop G Vice unit about the case and learned that Troops G and C Vice Units, along with the Office of the Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Agency, were conducting an ongoing federal investigation in which Rhoades’ residence was identified, the affidavit states.

Members of those organizations assembled at the Hollidaysburg state police barracks to assist in the investigation, according to the report.

Local law enforcement learned that members of a drug-trafficking organization had been identified by DEA, with the investigation centered on Christopher Love and Jonathan Enrique Toledo. On Feb. 18 and 19, federal surveillance techniques, including trackers and video surveillance, observed Love and Toledo enter a vehicle in Pittsburgh, travel to Blair County and end up at Gladys Lane in Snyder Township.

In talking with police, Albright’s girlfriend told police that Albright went to Rhoades’ residence after making phone calls with the intent of purchasing narcotics about 11 p.m. Feb. 18. She said Albright was inside the Gladys Lane home for about 15 minutes and during that time, she saw three other people enter and exit.

It wasn’t the first time Albright had been to the home, the girlfriend said, noting about a week earlier he purchased a “bun,” typically a bundle of heroin or fentanyl, the report states.

The girlfriend told police she overheard a conversation between Moyer and Albright, with Moyer seeking money.

Albright, who had already consumed some of the drugs when he purchased them, snorted more of the substance about 5 a.m. and became unresponsive, she said. Despite CPR and Narcan being administered, he was pronounced dead at the scene, the report states.

When asked who else was at the Gladys Lane residence aside from Rhoades, Moyer and Madison Kramer, Albright’s ex-girlfriend, the witness said there were numerous other people, including a young Black male who had been staying there.

During the interview, police learned that Kramer, 24, had just been found dead from a suspected drug overdose at a residence on the 400 block of West 19th Street, Tyrone Borough, the affidavit states.

A witness at that scene said Kramer had been staying at Rhoades’ residence. Police reportedly found drug residue and paraphernalia at the scene of Kramer’s death.

The witness said Rhoades was addicted to heroin and had a Black male staying at his residence who was selling controlled substances. The witness said she knew this information because she bought two 8-balls of crystal methamphetamine from the Black male, but she didn’t know his name.

The third overdose death was reported in the late afternoon of Feb. 19, when emergency responders were dispatched to a West 12th Street apartment in Tyrone Borough, where 33-year-old Charissa Wilson was pronounced dead, despite CPR and Narcan being administered.

Rhoades’ residence was put under surveillance, with those coming in and out being photographed. Among those photographed was a young Black male wearing dark pants and carrying a backpack, police said.

Tyrone Borough police detained the male, identified as Francois-Moon, at the Burger King in Tyrone. At that time, Francois-Moon admitted to having marijuana in his backpack. Police then secured a search warrant for the backpack and seized a large quantity of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and mushrooms, the report states.

By April 2, police had the toxicology reports back from all three deaths. Albright’s and Wilson’s deaths were attributed to an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, while Kramer’s death was cited as an overdose of xylazine, fentanyl, 4-ANPP and methamphetamine.

During the monthslong investigation, law enforcement secured search warrants, seized cellphones and collected evidence.

Court documents show the local investigation tied into the federal investigation of Love and Toledo and included their communications with Francois-Moon and communications between Smith, Moyer, Rhoades and Francois-Moon. Discussions included purchasing drugs, the deaths of Kramer and Albright and news articles.