By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced the filing of drug charges against four North Philadelphia residents he alleged sold more than $5 million worth of heroin and cocaine during the first seven months of this year.
Corbett said the organization, allegedly headed by Pedro “Macho” Piris Perez, broke down and packaged kilogram quantities of the drugs for smaller neighborhood street-corner drug dealers,,,, identifying the drug with distinctive “brand” stamp such as White House, Face-to-Face, Versace and Viagra.
Perez, 43, of the 3100 block of C Street, was charged along with Henry Figueroa, 37, of the 4000 block of North Fifth Street; Maritzel Colon, 19, and Michael Vargas, 22, both of the same house in the 4700 block of Darrah Street.
All were charged in various counts of possession with the intent to deliver heroin and/or cocaine, criminal conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia.
All were arrested by Philadelphia police and agents of District Attorney Lynne Abraham in July after a series of drug buys by undercover agents. At 11 p.m. July 7, state drug agents executed a search warrant at Figueroa’s house and allegedly found Figueroa and Vargas on the front porch and Perez and Colon inside packaging heroin.
The charges were announced by Corbett at the attorney general’s regional office near Philadelphia International Airport after a presentment was filed by a state investigating grand jury in Dauphin County.
All four defendants were transferred to city custody and did not comment as they were led to a Philadelphia police van by police and state drug agents.
Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/)