Steven Henshaw: Big quantities of counterfeit pills, meth and pot seized from Reading stash house, authorities say
Apr. 29—Berks County detectives and Reading police seized about 1,000 fentanyl pills mislabeled as prescription OxyContin along with 6 pounds of methamphetamine and 5 pounds of marijuana, among other illegal drugs, during a raid Friday morning on what they called a stash house in southeast Reading.
The haul from the home in the 1000 block of Chestnut Street had an estimated street value of $125,000, investigators said in a press release.
They pointed out that through various investigative techniques over several months, they identified Rafael Rodriguez-Ventura, 34, who resides in the home, as the supply source for a man they found to be selling counterfeit prescription pills and cocaine from inside and outside his residence five blocks away.
After getting search warrants from a Berks County judge, members of the Berks County Drug Task Force teamed with members of the Reading Police Department to serve search warrants for Rodriguez-Ventura's Chestnut Street residence as well as Kalif Pope's residence in the 200 block of Pearl Street, detectives said.
Both men were taken into custody and charged with conspiracy. Additionally, Rodriguez-Ventura is charged with possessing and intending to deliver fentanyl, methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana and related offenses.
Pope is charged with delivery of cocaine and fentanyl and possession of a firearm while prohibited. Both men were taken to the Berks County Central Processing Center to await arraignment.
Chief County Detective Michael J. Bombar provided the following account of the investigation in the news release:
In late January, county detectives initiated a drug investigation involving Pope.
Detectives received information that Pope was dealing street level quantities of counterfeit prescription pills, suspected to be fentanyl, and cocaine from in and around his residence in the 200 block Pearl Street.
After developing the investigation, investigators applied for and received search warrants for the two homes.
The entire seizure at Rodriguez-Ventura's was:
—About 1,000 counterfeit 30mg OxyContin pills, suspected to contain fentanyl, with a potential street value of $30,000.
—About 6 pounds of suspected methamphetamine with a potential street value $60,000
—About 2 pounds of suspected synthetic marijuana, or K2, with a potential street value $10,000.
—17 suspected MDMA pills, also known as Ecstasy, which can be sold for about $20 apiece on the street.
—5 pounds of suspected marijuana with a potential street value $25,000.
—About $9,200 believed to be the proceeds from illegal drug sales
—Drug related paraphernalia.
The entire seizure at Pope's was:
—A loaded Glock .22-caliber handgun
—17 counterfeit pills suspected to contain fentanyl
—3 packets of crack cocaine
—Drug-related paraphernalia
Fentanyl is commonly cut into other street drugs, sometimes with deadly results. Nearly all accidental fatal overdoses in recent years — over 100 in each of the last several years in Berks County alone — have been attributed to fentanyl, officials have said.
Investigators said the mislabeling of fentanyl pills as OxyContin underscores the perils of buying drugs on the street.
District Attorney John T. Adams has said during mass overdose incidents that have occurred in the past two years that drugs sold on the street lack quality control and the buyer doesn't really know what they're getting.
