Clearfield's Operation Drive-Thru

CLEARFIELD - Narcotics agents from the Attorney General's office today, along with local law enforcement, have arrested 12 out of 14 people in connection with a drug operation that was responsible for bringing millions of dollars worth of cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs into Clearfield County from sources in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre.

Corbett said that the drug organization was allegedly headed by Michael Styers, who traveled, or sometimes had others travel for him, into Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Wilkes-Barre to acquire drugs for resale in Clearfield County.

According to the charges, Styers' operation imported vast quantities of illegal drugs, including more than 20 kilograms of cocaine, into the Clearfield area beginning in 2004. The drug network allegedly generated drug profits totaling in the millions of dollars. Styers himself allegedly made more than a million dollars in profits.

Corbett said that the investigation, known as "Operation Drive Thru," began in April 2006, when the Lawrence Township Police responded to a burglary and encountered a vehicle parked along the road, along with Charles and Danielle Gearhart, Rick Wilkinson and his wife. They were allegedly in possession of about 200 grams of cocaine.

"Through the diligence of our agents and local law enforcement, once we found evidence of illegal drugs being dealt in Clearfield County, we were able to follow the trail and take down both the local dealers and their out-of-town sources," Corbett said.

Evidence and testimony regarding the alleged criminal activity was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today.

According to the grand jury, Styers' main source for cocaine was Maharaji "Bean" Hemingway in Philadelphia, who was responsible with supplying Styers with more than $1 million worth of cocaine.

Corbett said that it is estimated that Styers, or an associate, traveled to Philadelphia five to 10 times a month to purchase between four to 15 ounces of cocaine at a time from Hemingway, spending $12,000 to $16,000 per trip.

Corbett also said that Hemingway occasionally traveled to Clearfield, and on one occasion allegedly brought two shoe boxes full of cocaine with him. Each shoe box contained two large gallon size zip lock baggies; one was allegedly full of powder cocaine and the other was full of crack cocaine.

According to the grand jury, in April 2006, Hemingway traveled to Clearfield to collect a $17,000 drug debt. He allegedly held Styers' wife hostage in her own home for a few days, until she was able to contact Styers to locate a package stored inside the house.

The grand jury found that Charles Gearhart was a major dealer for Styers, and sometimes traveled with Styers to obtain cocaine. He and Styers regularly met Hemingway by the Philadelphia Zoo and brought back nine ounces of cocaine at a time, paying $1,700 to $1,800 per ounce of cocaine. Upon returning to Clearfield, Styers and Charles Gearhart sold the cocaine to local customers.

According to the grand jury, although Styers was the major importer of drugs to the Clearfield area, he was occasionally incarcerated on various parole violations. Whenever Styers was incarcerated, Charles Gearhart took over the cocaine operation. Many of Styers regular customers also bought from Charles Gearhart whenever they couldn't reach Styers.

According to the grand jury, Charles Gearhart and his wife, Danielle Gearhart, eventually began selling illegal drugs from a "drive-thru" window in their mobile home.

The investigation found that the Gearharts allegedly sold to numerous customers who literally drove their vehicles up to a window of the home and conducted drug business on an almost daily basis.

According to the grand jury, Michael Gearhart was allegedly another one of the main cocaine distributors for Styers and dealt large quantities of cocaine from a rented room at a motel in Clearfield. Michael Gearhart also allegedly bought cocaine from Anthony Manchio in Wilkes-Barre in multiple ounce quantities for resale in the Clearfield area. Tammie Barney, who was Michael Gearhart's girlfriend, often accompanied him on the trips to Wilkes-Barre.

The grand jury also found that Richard Smeal, Kenneth Smeal and Wilkinson occasionally traveled to acquire drugs from an unidentified source in Pittsburgh for resale in Clearfield County.

According to the grand jury, some of the drug users who bought drugs from this organization paid for their drugs in ways other than with money, including: sex, baby sitting services, guns, other drugs and credit card-funded shopping sprees.

Corbett noted that the investigation is ongoing and that more arrests are anticipated.

The defendants were preliminarily arraigned before Clearfield County Magisterial District Judge Richard Ireland. The case will be prosecuted in Clearfield County by Deputy Attorney General David Gorman of the Attorney General's Drug Strike Force Section.

Corbett thanked the Clearfield County Sheriff's Office, Clearfield Borough Police Department, DuBois Police Department, Sandy Township Police Department, Lawrence Township Police Department and Clearfield County District Attorney William Shaw Jr's office for their assistance with the investigation.

Below is a complete list of the defendants and the charges filed against them:

Michael Styers, 50, SCI Mercer, is charged with seven counts of delivery, seven counts of possession with intent to deliver, three counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts of criminal trespass, two counts of corrupt organizations, two counts of firearms, two counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of burglary, one count of criminal attempt/burglary, one count of theft by unlawful taking and one count of receiving stolen property.
Maharaji "Bean" Hemingway, 30, 1631 N. 26th St., Philadelphia, is charged with six counts of delivery, six counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and one count of false imprisonment.
Charles Gearhart, 38, 145 Hunter Rd., Woodland, is charged with 13 counts of delivery, 13 counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Danielle Gearhart, 39, 145 Hunter Rd., Woodland, is charged with seven counts of delivery, eight counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Michael Gearhart, 47, 306 Ogden Ave., Clearfield, is charged with nine counts of delivery, nine counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Richard Smeal, 43, SCI Mahanoy, is charged with eight counts of delivery, nine counts of possession with intent to deliver, six counts of criminal conspiracy, six counts of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
Anthony Manchio, 49, Box 122F 212 Farmhouse Lane, Wapwallopen, is charged with four counts of delivery, four counts of possession with intent to deliver, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Rick Wilkinson, 45, Clearfield County Jail, Clearfield, is charged with three counts of delivery, three counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Michael Marshall, 32, Centre County Jail, Bellefonte, is charged with two counts of delivery and two counts of possession with intent to deliver.
Jacob Pittman, 29, SCI Camp Hill, is charged with six counts of delivery, six counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Kenneth Smeal, 38, 7876 Shiloh Rd., Shiloh, is charged with six counts of delivery, seven counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
Adam Caldwell, 21, 1215 Woodland Rd., Clearfield, is charged with one count of delivery and one count of possession with intent to deliver.
Matthew Olson, 27, 314 Clearfield St., Clearfield, is charged with three counts of delivery, three counts of possession with intent to deliver and two counts of criminal conspiracy.
Tammie Barney, 41, 514 E. 5th St., Clearfield, is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver and one count of criminal conspiracy.