Olubayo Mensah Ranger, 45, and Anthony Dwight Branch, 43, were arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio on identical charges — felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver, as well as a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Branch was also charged with an additional felony count of possession with intent to deliver.

Bail was denied for the two men due to the “large trafficking operation,” online court documents state.

On Tuesday, Altoona police and officers with the Blair County District Attorney’s Office were investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization led by Ranger, of Hollidaysburg, and assisted by Branch, of Altoona. Officers learned that Ranger and Branch would be traveling by bus from State College to New York City. They noted it was an almost monthly trip taken by Ranger, who was sometimes accompanied by Branch. They also noted Ranger had been selling cocaine in the greater Altoona area for about 20 years, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

In New York City, surveillance units observed Ranger travel to an area in New Jersey known for drug distribution while Branch met with an individual with a history of drug distribution in the Washington Heights area. Ranger and Branch then traveled by bus back to State College from New York City on Wednesday, the police report states.

Ranger

Officers observed Ranger and Branch exit the bus with the same luggage they had taken to New York City. They then followed the pair to the State College airport, where Ranger had left his vehicle, and saw them stash their luggage in the trunk, the report states.

Officers continued following the pair as they drove onto I-99 south. When the vehicle passed the Blair County line about 7:54 p.m., officers initiated a traffic stop and detained Ranger and Branch. An open air sniff conducted by a K-9 officer yielded a positive alert for narcotics within the vehicle, the report states.

A special agent with the Department of Homeland Security applied for a sealed federal search warrant, which was granted by a federal magisterial district judge. A subsequent search of the vehicle and luggage yielded four individually wrapped and stamped kilograms of cocaine worth about $400,000; a gallon bag containing about 500 grams of cocaine worth about $50,000; and about 100 pressed methamphetamine pills worth about $2,000, according to the affidavit.

Ranger and Branch are scheduled for preliminary hearings July 2 in front of Magisterial District Judge Matthew Dunio.

Branch