COLDEN, N.Y. — Erie County Sheriff's Deputies arrested three people they believe are part of a Southern Tier drug ring.
The arrests were part of a weeks-long investigation that included help from the Southern Tier Drug Task Force.
The department's narcotics unit executed a search warrant Thursday morning at a home on State Road in the Town of Colden.
Detectives and deputies say they found a felony amount of methamphetamine and several hydrocodone pills that were not in the original prescription container. They also discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Dawn Smercak, 49, and David Smercak, 51, are charged with felony counts of criminal possession of a stimulant with intent to sell and criminal possession of a stimulant. David Smercak was also arrested on an outstanding warrant and not appearing in court for a previous case.
They are also charged with several misdemeanors: criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of criminal use of drug paraphernalia. They were also given violations for marijuana possession and for having drugs not in the original container.
David Smercak is a convicted felon and has six previous misdemeanor convictions, according to deputies. Some of the previous charges were drug related.
Dawn Smercak has five misdemeanor convictions for drug-related offenses.
Deputies also arrested another man they believe was working with the Smercaks to sell drugs in the Southern Tier.
Deputies pulled over Gregory Schroeder, 37, of South Dayton, on South Cascade Road in the Village of Springville around 1 p.m. Thursday. He had 10 active suspensions on his driver license, according to deputies and was arrested.
Deputies say they searched the vehicle and found a felony weight of meth and drug paraphernalia.
Schroeder is charged with a felony count of criminal possession of a stimulant, a misdemeanor count of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle, and two vehicle and traffic law violations. He is being held at the Erie County Holding Center.
