Pair charged in felony drug bust

A heroin sting that happened in broad daylight Thursday just in front of the Market Street Bridge in Kingston has left two people facing a hefty list of felony drug charges.

Kingston police charged 29-year-old Veronica Lee Harrison, 448 Beade St., Plymouth, and 19-year-old Michael R. Scott, 59 Winans Ave., Newark, N.J., in connection with the bust. Both of them, police say, were part of a drug deal gone awry when police used a confidential informant to set up the sting just before 3 p.m. Thursday.

Police arranged to have the informant buy a bundle of heroin from Scott for $115, according to a criminal complaint. The informant met Scott and Harrison, who was driving a gold Chevrolet Blazer, on Center Street in Kingston, and bought the heroin from Scott, who was sitting in the back seat, police said.

The informant took 10 packets of heroin, stamped with the "Body Tap" brand, directly to police, authorities said.

Police then pulled over the sport utility vehicle just in front of the Market Street Bridge and found Scott with the $115 and $50 in additional cash, police said. Harrison had a phone charger cord wrapped around her left arm, according to the complaint. Police said she was preparing to shoot up when the vehicle was stopped.

Scott had gotten a call earlier in the day asking him to sell heroin to Harrison, police said. Scott agreed, and Harrison picked him up in Wilkes-Barre, police said. Scott, Harrison and two other passengers eventually passed some heroin around in the car, police said, with one passenger giving Scott $50.

The four then made their way to Kingston, where the informant met them, police said. The sting commenced, with authorities soon after stopping the SUV.

"This is just another dealer taken off the streets," Kingston police Detective Richard Kotchik said. "We've just been pounding away at getting these guys."

The investigation also led police to a Brown Street home in Wilkes-Barre, where Kotchik said a .22 revolver and more heroin was found. Charges in relation to that portion of the investigation are forthcoming, he said.

The two passengers have not been charged.

A call placed to Scott's phone was not returned.

astaub@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2052

Veronica Lee Harrison, 448 Beade St., Plymouth, and Michael R. Scott, 59 Winans Ave., Newark, N.J., are charged with the following:

One felony count of delivery of a controlled substance.
Two felony counts of criminal conspiracy: delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
One felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
One misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.
One misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Scott faces an additional charges of one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.


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