Drug task force makes arrests

MILFORD - Pike County First Assistant District Attorney, Ray Tonkin, the Drug Task force Coordinator for the Pike County Drug Task Force announced the first three arrests by the Drug Task Force in the New Year. In the first case, task force members arrested Anthony Opitz, 18, of Matamoras for selling heroin in Westfall Township on Jan. 9, and his mother Nancy Opitz, 48, also of Matamoras, for possessing heroin and possessing drug paraphernalia on Jan. 10. According to Tonkin, Opitz was charged with selling four bags of heroin to another person for $80. When police went to arrest Anthony Opitz they discovered that Nancy Opitz had an outstanding warrant issued by Magisterial District Judge Deborah Fischer for passing bad checks. Police then discovered Nancy Opitz in possession of a small amount of heroin and some drug paraphernalia. Anthony Opitz, charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, all felony charges, and possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor charge, was arraigned before Judge Fischer and placed in the Pike County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Nancy Opitz was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. She was arraigned before Judge Fischer and sent to the Pike County Jail in lieu of $ 40,000.00 bail. Both are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 17, before Judge Fischer. In a separate investigation, drug task force member, Chief Mark L. Moglia of the Westfall Township Police Department, charged Jason Meier, 24, of West Point, N.Y., for attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud or misrepresentation at Price Chopper in Westfall Township. Meier is charged with attempting to obtain vicodin pills by submitting a prescription under false pretenses to the pharmacy at Price Chopper in Westfall Township. An alert pharmacist checked on the prescription and found out that it was a photocopy and not an original prescription. Meier was arrested by the New York State Police in Wurtsboro, N.Y. and placed in the Sullivan County Jail to await extradition back to face the charges of criminal attempt to obtain a controlled substance by fraud, a felony, and criminal attempt to obtain a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, in Magisterial District Judge Fischer’s Court. Tonkin noted that the abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise, and in the last several years the district attorney’s office has seen several prosecutions for persons obtaining prescription drugs by submitting false prescriptions to area pharmacists. Because of this increase, Tonkin has decided to place the resources of the Pike County Drug Task Force behind these investigations to assist local and state police. Tonkin said he hopes that the additional resources will lead to more prosecutions and ultimately deter people from attempting to obtain prescription drugs under fraudulent pretenses. The penalties for this type of offense, which are based upon the type of drug sought and the amount of pills obtained, can be quite severe ranging from county prison sentences to incarceration in a state prison. Anyone with any information regarding any illegal drug activity in Pike County is urged to call the Pike County district attorney’s office at 570-296-3482. All calls will remain confidential.