Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

HARRISBURG - Five suspects have been arrested and charged with participating in a plot to buy a baby and adopt the child out to family members. Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan identified the defendants as Jarrett Smith, Donna Albright-Smith, Krista Eveland, Eileen Smith and Jerome Smith. Ryan said that Albright-Smith and her ex-husband Jarrett Smith allegedly solicited Krista Eveland to sell them her unborn child so that Jarrett Smith's brother and sister-in-law could adopt the baby. According to the criminal complaint Jerome Smith and his wife Eileen Smith were hoping to adopt a child when they were approached by Donna Albright-Smith who told them she knew of a mother who wanted to put her child up for adoption. The charges state that Jerome and Eileen Smith paid for Eveland's pregnancy placing approximately $5,000-$6,000 into a trust fund to reimburse her for "necessary expenses." The Smiths also allegedly gave Eveland cash at least once a week for gas and groceri...

HARRISBURG - Agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested a substitute teacher and retired state police officer from western Pennsylvania accused of using the Internet to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year girl, transmitting a nude webcam video and then traveling to the Pittsburgh area in order to meet the girl for sex. The "girl" was actually an undercover agent who was using the online profiles of young teens. Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan identified the defendant as Lawrence W. McElroy, age 61, of Tologo Road, Cooperstown, Venango County. McElroy is a substitute high school teacher in Franklin County and retired sergeant from the Pennsylvania State Police. Ryan said that McElroy was arrested on Monday, April 25th, when he arrived at a predetermined location in Canonsburg, Washington County, where he had allegedly arranged to meet a 13-year old girl for sex - believing that the "girl" did not have school because of...

The state attorney general’s office has broken up a cocaine distribution ring they say was operated from two strip clubs in Erie and Crawford counties. Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan says the 14-month long investigation, known as "Operation Stripped Down," focused on the trafficking and distribution of cocaine in northwestern Pennsylvania, much of which appears to have originated from sources in eastern Ohio, but that part of the investigation is continuing. The two strips involved are the Velvet Strip Club in West Springfield and Club Paradise in Linesville. Six people have been arrested so far. http://attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6075

The four Ripley, N.Y, residents accused of operating a rolling meth lab along Interstate 90 and other area roads have waived their rights to extradition and were arraigned this morning in Erie County. The state Attorney General's Office says 42-year-old Eric Fuhs, 38-year-old Marie Kopta, 18-year-old Alexandria Gibbs and 20-year-old John Gibbs manufactured meth while driving back and forth between Erie and Ripley after buying supplies in and around Erie. The AG’s office is also accusing the four of bottling the toxic waste produced in the manufacture of meth and tossing it from the vehicle onto the highway. They are jailed on $50,000 bail each, according to online court records.

HARRISBURG – Two Lebanon County men who run a family-operated waste hauling business were charged today with allegedly dumping $500,000 worth of private and commercial waste at local landfill and billing Wyomissing Borough for the trash. Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan identified the defendants as Joseph Barry, 48, and his brother John Barry, 46, both of Lebanon County. Joseph Barry is the president of Lebanon Farms Disposal, Inc., 230 Obie Road, Newmanstown, Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County. Evidence and testimony regarding the case was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today. Ryan said that Lebanon Farms Disposal provides commercial, private residential and municipal waste collection and disposal throughout Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, and York counties. According to the grand jury, from 1992 to 2008, Lebanon Farms was contracted to provide residential trash...

Four Ripley, New York, residents are facing charges in Pennsylvania for allegedly running a rolling meth lab that was discovered during a traffic stop near Erie. Acting attorney general Bill Ryan says 42-year-old James Fuhus, 38-year-old Marie Kopta, 18-year-old Alexandria Gibbs and 20-year-old John Gibbs used a “one pot” method to manufacture meth while driving back and forth between Erie and Ripley after buying supplies. Waste products generated during the production of meth, including flammable and caustic chemicals, were allegedly placed in plastic soda bottles and thrown from the moving car as the defendants traveled along Interstate 90 and other roads in northwestern Pennsylvania. All four defendants were arrested today Chautauqua County sheriff’s deputies. They are currently being held in Chautauqua County pending extradition to Pennsylvania. http://attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6048

A Greene County man has been charged with illegally dumping millions of gallons of wastewater across southwestern Pennsylvania – including water from gas drilling operations, sludge from sewage treatment plants and grease water from restaurants. The state attorney general’s office say 50-year-old Robert Allan Shipman’s company illegally disposed of the wastewater between 2003 and 2009. Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan says, "This was a calculated and long-running scheme to personally profit by illegally dumping waste water, regardless of the potential for environmental damage.” http://attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=6030

Agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested a Lycoming County man accused of using Internet chat rooms to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year old girl, along with sending explicit webcam videos of himself to the "girl." Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan identified the defendant as George William McKay, age 61, of 723 High Street, Williamsport. Ryan said that McKay is accused of using an Internet chat room to approach and sexually proposition an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a young teen. During their first online communication, McKay allegedly told the "girl" that he was becoming aroused during their online chat and then used his computer webcam to transmit images of his exposed genitalia. According to the criminal complaint, McKay approached the undercover agent a second time, several days later - asking her, "do you want me to lower my cam," and, "do you...

A Clarion man has been picked up by the attorney general’s child predator unit for using a webcam to send sexually explicit videos of himself to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. 39-year-old Vincent Elliott was actually sending the items to an agent with the attorney general’s office. Elliott is accused of approaching the undercover agent in an Internet chat room in December 2010, asking to be added to the girl's "buddy list" for online messages. Several days later, Elliott is then accused of sending the girl a webcam transmission that showed him naked from the waist down, engaging in sexual activity in front of his computer. http://attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=5972