LOCK HAVEN - Clinton County District Attorney Mike Salisbury announced the arrest of four city men, allegedly dealing marijuana and cocaine out of their houses, one believed to be in a drug-free school zone.
Jesse James Kline, 26, and Joshua Lee Tieck, 22, both of 246 N. Hampton St.; and Michael Patrick Petsch, 23, and Collin Gregory Kunes, 23, both of 111 Commerce St., are in the Clinton County Correctional Facility, all on $100,000 straight bail set by Magisterial District Judge Frank Mills, after a two-month long investigation by several area police agencies and a confidential informant, Salisbury said.
The arrests came after a total of four search warrants were executed at the two properties (two on the houses and two on vehicles) at 6:45 a.m., Wednesday, Salisbury said. Reports had indicated officers broke into the houses to execute the search warrants, but Salisbury said neither of the houses were "breached."
"We were prepared to do that, but somebody answered the door at both places," Salisbury said.
"This is my fifth year in office and this is clearly the largest drug bust I've been involved with," he said. "I'm very grateful to the drug task force and all the assisting agencies."
A total of $18,160 in money was seized from the search warrants, in addition to 2 pounds, 23 ounces of marijuana and 1 gram of cocaine, Salisbury said.
At the North Hampton residence, approximately 23 ounces of marijuana and one gram of cocaine was seized, according to Salisbury. In addition, $13,454 worth of money and a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol were seized from Kline's room, along with multiple items of paraphernalia, including three vacuum sealers, packaging materials, a safe and pipes and bongs, Salisbury said.
In the Commerce Street residence, approximately 12 ounces of marijuana was seized from both Petsch and Kunes' rooms; $1,900 seized from Petsch and $2,000 from a duffle bag in the living room; one Remington 870 pump shotgun located in the area of Petsch's marijuana; and multiple items of drug paraphernalia, including a vacuum sealer and pipes and bombs, Salisbury said.
Also, Salisbury said, $806 in money and a container with trace amounts of suspected marijuana was also seized, along with a cellphone from Kunes' Honda CR-V. The cellphone of Petsch was recovered from a Chevrolet S-10 used by Petsch, the DA said.
"The search warrants and arrests were made after a number of controlled buys over a two-moth investigation," Salisbury said.
He said dozens of officers from the following agencies conducted the investigation: the Attorney General East Drug Task Force, the Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, Lock Haven City Police, Woodward Township Police, Pine Creek Township Police, Lock Haven University Police and a K-9 unit from state police at Montoursville.
Kline is charged with four counts of delivery of a controlled substance, five counts of possession with intent to deliver, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of criminal use of a communication facility and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
He faces a total maximum prison time of 70 years in prison, if convicted of all charges, Salisbury said.
Tieck is charged with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance, three counts of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of possesion of drug paraphernalia and one count of possesion of a small amount of marijuana.
He faces a total maximum prison time of 50 years, Salisbury said.
Petsch is charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, three counts of possesion with intent to deliver, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of criminal use of a communication facility and one count of possesion of drug paraphernalia.
He also faces a total maximum prison time of 50 years, Salisbury said.
Kunes is charged with one count each of delivery of a controlled substance, possesion with intent to deliver, criminal conspiracy, possesion of drug paraphernalia and possesion of a controlled substance.
He faces a maximum of 17 years in prison, Salisbury said.
The district attorney said Petsch and Kunes could face longer sentences if it's determined, as Salisbury believes, that their house is located in a drug-free school zone, near Dickey Elementary School and the Tiger Den Playground.
