Twelve people recently had felony charges held for court regarding drug dealing offenses in Binns Park in downtown Lancaster.
All twelve people are charged in connection with an undercover operation earlier this month by Lancaster city police’s Selective Enforcement Unit (SEU).
In all, SEU charged 17 adults and a 17-year-old female with drug-related crimes in the Binns Park area.
On Monday in Lancaster County Court, five of the charged individuals had preliminary hearings, while seven others waived preliminary hearings.
In turn, District Judge Bruce Roth ordered the charges held over for disposition in Lancaster County Court.
Ten of the defendants are charged with delivery and/or possession with intent to deliver synthetic cannabinoids (K2). The two others are charged regarding sales of fentanyl and cocaine.
They are:
- David Rodriguez-Rodriguez, 42, hearing
- Michael Peters, 28, hearing
- Gregory Williams, 55, hearing
- Samuel Trott, 57, hearing
- David Cotton, 39, hearing
- Victor Saez, 21, waived
- Dawn McCloskey, 39, waived
- Carlos Flores, 38, waived
- Jose Santana-Lao, 29, waived
- Gabriel Martinez-Cintron, 29, waived
- Rosa Velasquez, 28, waived
- Alfredo Santiago-Tirado, 32, waived
All are presumed innocent.
The alleged offenses happened in the Binns Park area in the 100 block of North Queen Street.
At the hearings, Assistant District Attorney Alex Egner presented evidence from officers with the Selective Enforcement Unit who testified that undercover officers purchased drugs from the charged dealers.
(In photo: Saez, who is charged with delivery, possession with intent to deliver, and possession of metal knuckles.)
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright