'Two old ladies' called Poconos heroin dealers --- Article courtesy of forum user, Varzil.
Authorities allege they sold $10,000 worth of the drug a week from Stroud Township trailer park
|Of The Morning Call
To most people, Elizabeth Marie Grube, 70, and her sister, Elaine Volkert, 65, seemed to be nice, friendly women who lived modest lives in their mobile home park just outside Stroudsburg.
But on Wednesday, authorities said each sister sold about $10,000 of heroin a week from their trailers tucked off Route 611 in Stroud Township. Investigators believe an Allentown man, Julio Cesar Checo, 28, of 33 S. 17th St., recruited them to sell the heroin and split the profits.
Their arrests should shatter most people's stereotypes of what a drug dealer looks like, Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference.
Holding a poster with the mug shots of Checo and the sisters, Christine said, "I guarantee you, if you were to flash [the sisters'] images across the [TV] screen, the last thing the average person in Monroe County would think is they are alleged heroin dealers.
"It can be anyone," Christine said, referring to drug dealers. "If this doesn't show it, I don't know what will."
Volkert's neighbor, Sandy Hunter, said she was fooled.
"I never expected this, really," Hunter said. "I couldn't believe it. I never would have expected that from her because she's a nice person."
Other neighbors said the women drove older-model vehicles and lived in narrow trailers that rent for about $600 a month.
Authorities said the sisters got large shipments of heroin that they packaged into bags that sold for $10 to $20.
"You'd never expect it, you know what I mean?" said Michael Delango, 20, who lives in a nearby trailer. "Why would you expect two old ladies to be packing weight like that?"
The sisters were arrested Tuesday along with Checo when he allegedly showed up to collect $27,000 from them for an earlier heroin delivery.
All three were charged with possession of drugs with intent to deliver, conspiracy and a related offense involving the use of a cell phone. The sisters were released on unsecured bail, and Checo was sent to Monroe County Prison under $75,000 bail.
Christine said police last week got a complaint about alleged drug dealing in the trailer park and set up an undercover investigation using local police and narcotics agents from the Allentown office of the state attorney general's office.
Through the use of informants, drug buys and surveillance, the sisters were arrested within a week, Christine said. Police also executed a search warrant and found more than 1,400 bags of heroin at 1000 Ehler St., where Volkert lives, and her sister's home at 1016 Ehler St.
Christine said police believe the sisters had been dealing heroin supplied by Checo, whom they called "Little Tony," for at least the last six months.
Calling drug dealing a scourge on the community, Christine said people should call police if they see heavy traffic going in and out of a house at unusual hours.
Link to article WITH pictures: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_3heroin.6877724apr30,0,3523984.story
