Schuylkill County Man Was “Ruthless Leader” of Drug Ring, Attorney General Says

New charges have been filed against several Schuylkill County men who the state’s Attorney General say were the ringleader and a co-conspirator in a large-scale drug ring here and in Carbon County.

Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the charges Tuesday at a press conference. He said several pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana were seized during numerous arrests of suspects in the ring.

Sunday identified Cruz “June” Rodriguez as the leader of this organization. He called Rodriguez, of New Philadelphia, “a ruthless leader who kept co-conspirators under his rule by threats and brandishing a firearm.”

Rodriguez, 31, and Jose Nieves-Feliciano, of Coaldale, were arrested in late-August during a synchronized bust by the AG’s office working with police in Tamaqua, Blythe Township, and Port Carbon, according to our previous reporting.

The takedown of this alleged drug ring was an effort by the AG’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations and the Carbon County Drug Task Force.

“Taking drug dealers off the streets continues to be a top priority of my office. Firearms and drug trafficking is a deadly mix that we have seen manifest across the Commonwealth in acts of violence,” Sunday said in a statement released on Tuesday. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners who teamed with our office to make arrests and seizures which will have lasting impact in these communities.”

In addition to the charges they were already facing, Rodriguez and Nieves-Feliciano also had charges of Corrupt Organizations added to their record.

Here is a listing of all the arrests made in taking down the alleged drug organization:

• Cruz “June” Rodriguez is being charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations, three counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, seven counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, six counts of Conspiracy Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, one count of Persons not to Possess Firearms, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
• Elijah Maria Camacho is being charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations, one count of Possession with Intent to Deliver, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, and one count of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance.
• Jose Nieves-Feliciano is being charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations, one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, one count of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance, and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
• Justin Paul Heacock is being charged with one count of Corrupt Organizations, one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, one count of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance, and one count of of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
• Christopher “Skinny” Hazlett is being charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations, one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, one count of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance, and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
• William Carter is being charged with three counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance and three counts of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.
• Kayla Maria Evert is being charged with one count of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, one count of Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance, one count of Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds, and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility.

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