SHAMOKIN - Two highrise residents were charged Tuesday with selling various drugs to a police informant in separate incidents in the city.
Wadie Crain, 46, of Apt. 402, Lincoln Towers, 201 W. Mulberry St., was taken into custody at about 11:20 a.m. by Shamokin Chief of Police Darwin Tobias III, Cpl. Bryan Primerano and Ralpho Township Patrolman Chris Grow while boarding a LATS bus at 9th and Independence streets.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Albert Small, 65, a resident of the Harold Thomas Highrise, 170 E. Dewart St., and his girlfriend, Betty Seibert, 55, of 51 S. Franklin St., Shamokin, were apprehended by police after a drug transaction involving an undercover officer at Seibert's home.
Primerano said none of the drugs were sold to highrise tenants.
Crain is charged with felonies of delivering marijuana and possession of marijuana relating to a Nov. 17 incident in which he allegedly sold $20 worth of marijuana to an informant. He also faces felonies of delivering marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana and criminal use of a communication facility, and a misdemeanor of delivering a prescription medication known as Gabapentin relating to a Nov. 21 incident. Police said Crain, who reportedly moved to Pennsylvania from Maryland in 2008, is accused of selling marijuana and Gabapentin for $20 to an informant.
Shortly after being arraigned by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III, Primerano said Crain gave police permission to search his apartment. That incident led to additional charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after police discovered a plastic bag containing marijuana, a digital scale, packaging material and a marijuana smoking device.
Small, who is Crain's friend, is charged with felonies of delivering five hydrocodone tablets, possession with intent to deliver five hydrocodone tablets, criminal use of a communication facility (two counts), delivering five dihydrocodeinone pills and possession with intent to deliver five dihydrocodeinone pills.
Primerano said Small allegedly sold the hydrocodone for $30 and the dihydrocodeinone for $50 on July 26 and Aug. 22, respectively.
In connection with Tuesday's undercover drug buy, Small faces felonies of delivering four hydrocodone tablets, possession with intent to deliver four hydrocodone tablets and criminal conspiracy, along with misdemeanors of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Seibert was charged with delivering four hydrocodone (Vicodin) pills, possession with intent to deliver four hydrocodone pills and criminal conspiracy relating to the incident at her home in which Small allegedly sold the drugs for $20.
Seibert told police that the pills Small sold to the undercover officer were her prescription medications. She claimed her "representative payee" was not giving her enough money, which prompted her and Small to sell the prescription medications to "make money to live," according to police.
Primerano and Grow filed the charges.
Crain and Small were released on their own recognizance after being arraigned by Gembic, who placed the defendants on bail supervision. Seibert, who was charged but not arraigned, also remains free.
Primerano praised Shamokin Housing Authority and Lincoln Towers officials for their cooperation in the investigation that led to the charges. The housing authority owns the Harold Thomas Highrise.