Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane announced charges Thursday against an alleged Meadville drug dealer and three co-conspirators for trafficking 85 pounds of marijuana worth $250,000 cross country for distribution in Western Pennsylvania.
A statewide investigating grand jury recommended charges against John Nelson, Nicole Nelson, Andrew Kubiak and Jessica Clark following a joint investigation between the Office of Attorney General and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration.
Officials say John Nelson hired Nicole Nelson, Jessica Clark and Andrew Kubiak to travel to California in October 2013 to buy bulk quantities of marijuana and deliver the illegal drugs to him in Meadville, Crawford County.
Nicole Nelson, a California resident and John Nelson’s sister, purchased a rental car in Erie, then she and Clark drove to the area of Santa Rosa, California, where the car was packed with 85 pounds of marijuana. Kubiak met the women in Sacramento to transport the drugs to Pennsylvania with Clark. The pair was apprehended in Kansas.
For her role in the drug trafficking operation Clark was to receive $2,000 from John Nelson, who paid her for travel expenses and Kubiak’s flights.
John Nelson is now being charged with two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver marijuana, one count of possession of marijuana and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.
Nicole Nelson is charged with one count of criminal conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
Both Clark and Kubiak face charges of one count possession with intent to deliver marijuana, one count of criminal conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver marijuana and one count of possession of marijuana.
John Nelson was arraigned Wednesday and remanded to the Crawford County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail.
Kubiak and Clark were released on $25,000 unsecured bond. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Nicole Nelson.
The case will be prosecuted in Crawford County by Deputy AAndrettorney General Marnie Sheehan-Balchon of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
