$2.5 million drug bust in Kutztown
An investigation that began in May of 2008 finally culminated on Monday, Nov. 2 with a bust of a multimillion-dollar drug ring that included the arrest of two KU students.
Blasé Garrecht, a senior Business major, and Joe Finocchio, a senior Criminal Justice major, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the drug ring that was responsible for transporting large quantities of ecstasy and high-grade marijuana from New York to Easton. Garrecht and Finocchio are accused of receiving the pot from other members of the ring and distributing it to KU students. The ring is thought to have been headed by brothers Jerome, Kendell and Nolan Alexander and their mother Felician Edwards, according to a statement that a statewide grand jury released after hearing the evidence and testimony.
According to a press release from Attorney General Tom Corbett, the investigation began as a series of undercover marijuana purchases made on KU’s campus from then-student Michael Puchyr after he was named by a confidential informant. After the informant made multiple purchases from Puchyr that were observed and confirmed by investigating agents, Garrecht was discovered to be Puchyr’s supplier. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control Unit (BNI) of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.
Puchyr testified to the grand jury that while he was dealing marijuana, he sold mainly to KU students and said that the demand on campus for high-grade weed was “tremendous.”
With the help of two confidential informants who were not named in the jury’s report, the BNI’s investigation tracked the path of the marijuana from Garrecht back to the Alexander brothers, who were also dealing large quantities of ecstasy pills. The investigation revealed that the family was using their business, known as 777 Auto Sales, as a front for receiving and transporting the marijuana, and laundering the profits through the company’s checking accounts.
Garrecht is charged with two counts of delivery of marijuana and one count of criminal conspiracy. Finocchio is charged with one count of criminal conspiracy. The charges were pressed after a recommendation made by the statewide grand jury. A preliminary arraignment will be held by Fleetwood Magisterial District Judge Gail Greth, and the case will be prosecuted in the Berks County Courts.
Sean Dallas, assistant director of University Relations, told The Keystone, “The university appreciates the effort of the attorney general’s office, our campus police department, district attorney staff, and other law enforcement agencies who helped bring the perpetrators to justice… We are cooperating with the investigating authorities and will continue to do so.”
Dallas said that campus police routinely work with other county- and state-wide law enforcement agencies. “It is better to be aggressive in enforcement to uncover these types of activities,” he said.
Bob Watrous, associate vice president and dean of Student Services and Campus Life, said in an interview that after the trial, Garrecht and Finocchio will face consequences from the university, since the possession, use, and sale of drugs are all violations of the university code of conduct. He said that in similar scenarios in the past where students have been prosecuted for violations of law, the university has held reviews to determine whether the perpetrators would be allowed to remain students at KU. “The outcome has generally been either suspension or expulsion,” he said. “It’s based on the principle that illicit actions affect other people. They put other students’ health and safety at risk.”
Watrous also expressed that he is grateful for the arrest because it is “removing people from the environment who are preying on other students with illegal actions.”
Kutztown Borough police were not involved in the investigation. Chief of Police Craig Summers told The Keystone in a phone interview that they were aware of what was happening but said, “It wasn’t our investigation.” Borough police forces were not present at Garrecht and Finocchio’s arrests.
Repeated attempts made by The Keystone to contact representatives of the District Attorney’s office were unsuccessful. Check www.keystoneonline.com and future issues for updates as more information is brought to light.
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