Maria Arroyo, 49, of Philadelphia, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communications facility, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and involuntary manslaughter.
The charges stem from an investigation by state police Troop G Vice and Narcotics Unit in 2006 and 2007 into a heroin distribution network that connected the Philipsburg and State College areas with Philadelphia. Troopers became aware of at least 15 people who were traveling to Philadelphia from Centre County, purchasing heroin from the same source, then driving back to Centre County and both using and reselling the heroin, according to a news release issued Tuesday by state police. Police say their investigation shows individuals from Centre County purchased more than 7,000 bags of heroin from the Arroyos in 2006 for an average price of $8 a bag. The heroin was resold in Centre County for $30 per bag, police said.
On Dec. 25 and 26, 2006, three people left the State College area and traveled to Philadelphia to purchase heroin. The individuals then returned to Ferguson Township and used the purchased heroin, according to state police. One of the individuals died of an overdose, a death investigated by Ferguson Township police. An autopsy later showed the heroin purchased in Philadelphia was laced with fentanyl.
Police throughout the nation in 2006 issued alerts about fentanyl- laced heroin, which was reported to be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of addicts. Fentanyl is a prescription painkiller that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and many addicts purchased and used heroin unaware that it had been mixed with fentanyl. During 2007, according to police, troopers made controlled purchases of heroin that they determined came from the Philadelphia source. They began conducting interviews, and gained the cooperation of many of the individuals involved, police said. They presented their evidence to a statewide grand jury in Harrisburg, and the grand jury on Jan. 8 recommended the filing of charges against Arroyo and her husband, Pedro Arroyo. Their whereabouts were unknown at the time, police said, and District Judge Allen Sinclair issued a warrant for their arrest that day.
At some point — the information from police was unclear on exactly when — Maria Arroyo was taken into custody on other charges by the Philadelphia Police Department and placed in Philadelphia County prison. At that point, police determined that Pedro Arroyo had died in late 2007. Maria Arroyo was transported from Philadelphia to Centre County on Tuesday and arraigned before District Judge Daniel Hoffman. He remanded her to Centre County jail in lieu of $50,000 straight cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 20. State police said they were assisted by Ferguson Township, State College and Philadelphia police and the Attorney General’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General David Gorman
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