MAHANOY CITY — A Sunbury woman who tried to sell prescription drugs Thursday in Mahanoy City and two of her alleged prospective buyers were arrested and jailed later in the day.
Mahanoy City police Patrolman Thomas Rentschler charged Hollie K. Propst, 43, of 630 N. Seventh St., Sunbury; John Simon, 44, of 203 E. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; and, Michael K. Shannon, 27, of 322 Ridge Terrace, Coaldale, in connection with the incident that unfolded about 1:15 p.m.
Propst was charged with unlawful delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance and conspiracy, both felony offenses, as well as misdemeanor charges of sale at retain of dispensing a controlled substance and identity theft.
Simon was charged with felony conspiracy and misdemeanor offenses of criminal attempt to commit possession of a controlled substance and prohibited acts, while Shannon was charged with misdemeanor offenses of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal solicitation.
All three were arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, who set bail at $50,000 straight cash for Propst and Simon and $25,000 straight cash for Shannon. The three were then committed to Schuylkill County Prison pending preliminary hearings.
Rentschler said a confidential informant told him that Propst would be going to the office of Dr. Gursharan Singh in the borough to obtain a prescription for 120 oxycodone pills and the that that to Morris Drugs pharmacy to have it filled.
The informant said Propst would then meet a man named “Jay” at the Cocoa Hut where he would buy 100 pills at $7 each, the officer said.
An undercover officer watched Propst leave the doctor’s office and walk to Cocoa Hut where she met Simon, who is also called “Jay,” and the two walked to Morris Drugs nearby, where Simon waited outside.
Rentschler said the pharmacist filled the prescription that was legally issued by Singh and had no reason to believe Propst was going to sell the pills.
When Propst left the pharmacy, Rentschler said, she and Simon walked to the Cocoa Hut lot at which time the informant told officers the prescription would be filled in about 20 minutes and that Simon left to collect the rest of the money because he only had $400 with him.
Rentschler said Propst then returned to the pharmacy, obtained the pills and then got into a vehicle that officers stopped for having a registration plate that was suspended for insurance cancellation.
When the vehicle was stopped, Propst was questioned and said she was going to Simon’s house. Rentschler said that when officers told her they knew why she was going to the home, she immediately agreed to cooperate.
He said Propst told him she was supposed to go to Simon’s house and wait for the remaining money he agreed to pay her in return for the “perks.”
Propst agreed to go to Simon’s house and knocked on the door. Rentschler said Simon exited the home and was subsequently detained.
After being read her Miranda Rights, Rentschler said Propst admitted she was going to sell Simon 100 pills and provide him an additional 15 for doing the selling after she received the prescription from the pharmacy.
While giving officers a statement, Rentschler said Propst received several text messages from Shannon and told police she was planning on giving him 10 pills, five for him to keep and five for him to sell to Simon.
Rentschler said that Shannon then agreed to meet Propst at the Cocoa Hut, where he was taken into custody immediately completing the drug transaction.
Rentschler said all three will now have to appear for preliminary hearings before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.