Trending
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Three members of an Altoona drug ring who were indicted on criminal charges following a statewide grand jury investigation in July 2025 were handed state prison sentences Tuesday in Blair County court.
Rickey Sharief Joyner, 45, Matthew Lewis Rodriguez, 40, and Kirsten Lindsay Wright, 36, appeared before Senior Judge Michael A. George of Adams County for sentencing in the cases brought against them following an investigation into the 2022 overdose death of 26-year-old Marlana Koehle.
Koehle's family was present in the courtroom for Joyner's sentencing, but chose not to make statements.
George sentenced Joyner to 14- to 30-years' incarceration, with credit for time served since about July 30, 2025, when Joyner was jailed with bail denied.
Joyner initially faced a felony count of third-degree murder, but the charge was downgraded to felony voluntary manslaughter as part of his plea agreement. In addition to the manslaughter charge, Joyner pleaded guilty to felony counts of corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, dealing in unlawful proceeds, knowledge that property is the proceeds of unlawful acts, criminal use of a communication facility, three felony counts of conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver and 22 felony counts of possession with intent to deliver.
George accepted Joyner's guilty pleas to all charges in the overdose case and a separate contraband case filed in late May.
Joyner faced additional felony counts in that case, including dealing in unlawful proceeds, contraband - controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver for conspiring with two city residents to smuggle contraband into the Blair County Prison.
When given the opportunity to address the court, Joyner apologized for his actions. He also told George that co-defendant Rodriguez had "nothing to do" with the drug ring.
Deputy Attorney General David Gorman recommended a sentence of 16- to 32-years' imprisonment for Rodriguez, who was convicted on all counts following a jury trial in March.
When George asked Gorman to justify giving Rodriguez a harsher sentence than Joyner, who was the drug ring's "main player," Gorman said they had made "various offers" to Rodriguez, but he had shown no remorse and would not take responsibility for his actions.
George ultimately rejected this argument, saying he wasn't going to punish someone for exercising their constitutional right to a jury trial. He then sentenced Rodriguez to five- to 10-years' incarceration.
Prior to handing down the sentence, George heard from a number of character witnesses on Rodriguez's behalf. Those witnesses asked George to use leniency, including his mother, who said the suggested punishment of 16 to 32 years "is very harsh for someone who hasn't been in trouble before."
Choosing to represent himself, Rodriguez told George that he "wasn't what you would call a 'career criminal.'"
"I just ask that I'm given a little bit of grace," Rodriguez said.
George acknowledged the "number of positive comments" made in favor of Rodriguez, but said he also had to think of the parents whose children are suffering from addiction or have died from an overdose.
Rodriguez was also given about 170 days of credit for time served.
Wright was the last co-defendant sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and a felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.
Defense attorney Kristen Anastasi told George the plea agreement was for two- to four-years' incarceration and to be recommended for the state drug treatment program.
Anastasi said the sentence was at the bottom of the standard range and that Wright had no prior record or previous arrests.
George accepted the plea, saying it was "fairly favorable" before urging Wright to change her "circle." He granted Wright a deferred report date to the Blair County Prison of Aug. 3.
Joyner, Rodriguez and Wright were taken into custody alongside Tareek Alquan Hemingway, 33, Laura Rutherford Horne, 29, Cecylia Antoinette Thompson, 33, and Milton Lavale Williams, 49, in June 2025 after a statewide grand jury investigation recommended criminal charges against them for running a suspected drug ring.
The drug-trafficking investigation began after Altoona police received a call in November 2022 for a suspected drug overdose.
On scene, they found a woman, later identified as Koehle, who had died of a multi-drug overdose that included fentanyl and cocaine. Police searched the area and found half of a blue pill and white powder, which were later tested and confirmed to be fentanyl and cocaine, according to the report.
A forensic pathologist determined the concentration of fentanyl in Koehle's body was sufficient to have caused her death. He said fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 60 times more potent than oxycodone. He also indicated it isn't surprising that an overdose occurs when an individual ingests what they believe to be oxycodone tablets, but in reality contains fentanyl.
Hemingway was sentenced to five- to 10-years' incarceration in a state correctional institute in late April after entering a no-contest plea in late March, while Williams was sentenced in November 2025 to six to 23.5 months in the Blair County Prison.
The cases against Horne and Thompson remain active and await disposition.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.