Two men accused of supplying heroin between Philadelphia, Washington County
Pennsylvania State Police Capt. David J. Heckman speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the state police barracks in Eighty Four. With Heckman are Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone, center, and Assistant District Attorney Jerome Moschetta.
Joseph Rasel
Talbert Eugene Hill-El
Jose N. Alicea
Two Philadelphia men accused of operating a pipeline that brought 30,000 to 36,000 stamp bags of heroin from that area to Washington County over the past year have been arrested on drug charges.
Talbert Eugene Hill-El, 36, and Jose N. Alicea, 35, are charged with delivery and possession of heroin, conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Washington County District Attorney’s office and state police Troop B vice unit into the distribution of heroin in the Washington area, said District Attorney Gene Vittone.
On Nov. 18, members of the state police and the county’s drug task force served a search warrant at the North Franklin Township home of 55-year-old Joseph Rasel, identified in court records as being known to law enforcement as a distributor of heroin in Washington County.
Police said a “significant quantity” of heroin indicative of distribution was found in Rasel’s home on Sugar Maple Circle during the search, along with paraphernalia, money and a cellphone. Rasel reportedly gave investigators statements about his distribution of heroin in the county. Washington police had also charged him with possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin after he was found passed out in his vehicle in June. At the time, Rasel reportedly told city police he had purchased the heroin in Philadelphia.
Rasel allegedly told detectives on at least 15 occasions between April and November, he purchased large quantities of heroin through a man he identified as “T,” later determined by police to be Hill-El, and through a man known as “Nate” or “Big Man,” later identified as Alicea. Arrangement for the purchases were made over the phone, police said. Rasel allegedly purchased the drug and brought it back to Washington, where he sold it. Rasel, according to court documents, then used the money he made from the heroin distribution to purchase more from Hill-El and Alicea in Philadelphia.
Investigators said they were able to corroborate Rasel’s statements through text messages on his cellphone with Hill-El. On Dec. 13, Rasel allegedly agreed to make a controlled purchase of about 1,400 stamp bags of heroin from Alicea and Hill-El. Through surveillance and information provided by Rasel, police said they determined that Hill-El arranged for the purchase of the suspected heroin and/or Fentanyl from Alicea for $5,500.
“State police coordinated the buy-bust operation,” said Capt. David J. Heckman, commanding officer at Troop B headquartered in Washington. “We estimate that there were 30,000 to 35,000 stamp bags brought in over the time period.”
Heckman said the Philadelphia area, along with Camden, N.J., and New York City, are prime sources for heroin brought into Washington County, although state police also see supplies of the drug coming from the southwestern United States and Detroit.
After the alleged transaction was completed, Hill-El, Alicea and Rasel were taken into custody. Police said they found $5,000 of the money used to make the purchase on Alicea and $500 on Hill-El. Rasel turned over 1,390 stamp bags that field-tested positive as heroin, police said.
Vittone said there were 3,489 criminal case filings in 2016, and of those, he estimated heroin or opioids were mentioned in one-third of the complaints.
“For the first time, suspected heroin and opioid use has replaced alcohol in most case filings,” Vittone said.
Vittone said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams agreed to allow the two men to be prosecuted in Washington County. Vittone believes it is important to prosecute the suspected dealers in the county where they profited from the misery and tragedy they created.
“Law-abiding citizens need to know that law enforcement is committed to working together to get these drugs out of our communities, and the drug dealers poisoning our communities need to know that we will not hesitate to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” Vittone said. “This drug is killing people and causing tragedies.”
With the new legislative session in Harrisburg, Vittone is working with local lawmakers to give prosecutors the tools they need to combat the heroin epidemic. He would like to see changes in the Good Samaritan law to require those who are administered Narcan, the drug used to reverse the effect of an overdose, to get treatment. Vittone said he also would like to see the restoration of the ability for prosecutors to seek mandatory sentences against drug dealers.
Hill-El and Alicea are in jail in Philadelphia and will be brought to Washington County for preliminary hearings. Jerome Moschetta, assistant district attorney assigned to prosecute the case, said Rasel will be charged later.
Also assisting in the investigation were members of state police Troop H and Philadelphia police.