New York State Police arrested 15 people in a drug sweep in Steuben County. The suspects are accused of 'smurfing,' helping to make methamphetamines. According to the five-month-long investigation, the suspects used allergy medicine and traded it to methamphetamine “cooks.” Federal law prohibits anyone from buying more than 3.6 grams of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine per day and nine grams in a 30-day period. All of 15 suspects were charged with one felony count of first-degree falsifying business records. Shoemaker was also charged with one count of second-degree criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials.
The suspects are:
- Michelle Croft, 35
- Daniel Gillespie, 40
- John Landsborough, 51
- William Landsborough, 33
- Joyce Lafave, 50
- Cody Shoemaker, 29
- Jeremy Comfort, 31
- Melissa Sherman, 37
- Megan Preston, 25
- Kerstyn Buck, 20
- Kristina Jolley, 48
- Patrick Rafferty, 26
- William Trenchard, 37
- Chastity Stark, 42
- Jessica Austin, 34