SHAMOKIN - Five of the eight individuals charged in last week's local cocaine and heroin drug bust waived their rights to preliminary hearings Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III and were ordered to appear for plea court Feb. 13.
Waiving their cases to the Court of Common Pleas in Sunbury were Bruce Zigarski Jr., 35, of Shamokin; Stevie Cokosky, 20, of Shamokin; David A. Dehoutaint Jr., 35, of Kulpmont; Michael Filarski, 30, of 619 W. Mulberry St., Shamokin, and Holly Ann Rodriguez, 27, of 1010 W. Mulberry St., Coal Township.
Zigarski is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver heroin/cocaine, two counts of delivery of heroin/cocaine and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
Cokosky is charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin, delivery of heroin and criminal use of a communication facility.
Dehoutaint is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of delivery of cocaine and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
Filarski is charged with four counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, four counts of delivery of cocaine and four counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
Rodriguez is charged with four counts of possession with intent to deliver cocaine, four counts of delivery of cocaine and three counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
Cokosky, Filarski and Rodriguez were released on unsecured bail and placed on bail supervision. Dehoutaint was set free on unsecured bail. Zigarski was recommitted to Northumberland County Prison in Sunbury in lieu of $500 bail.
All the charges were filed by Shamokin Cpl. Bryan Primerano and Mount Carmel Sgt. Todd Owens, who are members of the Northumberland-Montour Drug Task Force.
All five of the defendants had been incarcerated on $40,000 cash bail following their arrests Dec. 13.
The other three defendants charged in the raid, Jeffrey J. Nahodil, 38, of Shamokin; Shauna Nahodil, 32, of 410 N. Rock St., Shamokin, and John C. Wallish Jr., 54, of 30 S. 21st St., Tharptown, are scheduled for preliminary hearings Jan. 17 before Gembic.
Jeffrey Nahodil is an inmate at SCI-Coal Township. Shauna Nahodil is incarcerated at Northumberland County Prison. Wallish is free after posting $40,000 cash bail at his arraignment last week.
The arrests culminated a 14-month investigation into a local cocaine and heroin ring in which several thousand dollars worth of narcotics was seized.
The drug raid involved a joint investigation by state narcotics agents, local police and Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini's office.