Two men are in McKean County Jail for allegedly selling methamphetamine to a confidential informant of the state attorney general’s office on Main Street in Bradford.
Chad Ginkel, 43, of 907 W. 18th St., Erie, and Brian Allen, 44, of 417 Elk Ave., Kane, were both arraigned early Friday and sent to jail on $75,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint, on Thursday night, Bradford City Police were contacted by an agent with the attorney general’s office about a potential controlled buy of narcotics by a trusted confidential informant in the City of Bradford.
At 7:50 p.m., the informant texted Allen, and an arrangement was made to meet in the area of Tops Market on Main Street to buy drugs. About 10 p.m., Allen arrived at Tops parking lot and got out of a vehicle with Ginkel. Ginkel was given the money in exchange for 14.85 grams of fentanyl/methamphetamine mix, the complaint stated.
Ginkel was arrested and searched, and police found an additional 13.73 grams of the fentanyl/methamphetamine mix, along with two grams of cocaine. Allen was taken into custody and searched, and found to be in possession of buprenorphine and .85 grams of the fentanyl/methamphetamine mix.
Both men are charged with possession with intent to deliver, a felony; and two counts of possession, misdemeanors. Ginkel is also charged with dealing in the proceeds of an unlawful act, a third-degree felony; and possessing an instrument of crime, a first-degree misdemeanor. Allen faces an additional charge of criminal use of a communication facility, a third-degree felony.
Also on Friday, the attorney general’s office announced an arrest operation regarding a guns and drug trafficking ring based in Erie and Crawford counties.
An arrest operation began late last week when the alleged head of the ring — 25-year-old Quran Lindsey-Cooley — was taken into custody on numerous charges, including corrupt organizations, felony drugs and firearms offenses, and related offenses.
While no local residents were listed as being charged, there were local police agencies assisting. According to AG Michelle Henry, included in the agencies assisting in the investigation were City of St. Marys Police, Elk County District Attorney’s Detective Bureau and Emporium Borough Police.
