Police arrest 18 alleged drug dealers; say sales made in Champion

State authorities charged 18 people over their alleged roles in a marijuana smuggling operation that moved and distributed hundreds of pounds of pot throughout the north country.

Police officers fanned out across St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties early Thursday morning, concentrating in the Massena area, to arrest the alleged drug dealers. Weapons, cocaine, marijuana and cash were seized in the roundup, law enforcement officials said.

A dozen suspects were arraigned Thursday morning in St. Lawrence County Court on conspiracy and drug charges. The marijuana came through the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The ringleader of the operation allegedly was Massena resident Scott A. Jerome.

James J. Mindell, assistant deputy attorney general and senior investigative counsel to the statewide organized crime task force, said authorities seized $40,000 in cash from a safe at his home. Mr. Jerome was charged with four counts each of first-degree criminal sale of marijuana and first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy, all felonies. Judge Jerome J. Richards sent him to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, without bail.

A major marijuana supplier in Jefferson County was James Ashley, authorities say. He was charged with five counts of first-degree criminal possession of marijuana, two counts of first-degree criminal sale of marijuana and single count of fourth-degree conspiracy. He was also sent to county jail without bail. Most of the buys reportedly occurred in the town of Champion.

Those also facing charges include:

Raun Mitchell, Margaret Ann Jacobs, Matthew Dillon, Mitchell David, Donna Jarvis, Ashley Alguire, Wesley Waters, Robert Brigham, Matthew DeCaprio, Scott Thayer, Jeremy Kearns, Douglas Monroe, Raymond Whalen, Clayton Everhart and Stacy Narrow.

See the video from today's press conference, complete with pictures of the 250 pounds of marijuana seized: