COAL TOWNSHIP - Police are investigating four suspected heroin overdoses that occurred in the township during the past two months, two of which resulted in death.
Heroin packaging in those cases is similar to that found at the home of a 22-year-old Cleveland Township man who nearly died from an apparent heroin overdose last month. He allegedly obtained the drug from individuals charged after a bust at Glosser Motor Inn, Paxinos, the same day as his overdose.
"There is a heroin problem in the area and we are continuing to investigate all
four incidents we believe may be related to heroin," Coal Township Detective Jeff Brennan said.
He said males and females were involved and heroin packages in some of the overdoses appear to be similar.
"We are trying to determine if they came from the same source," he said.
He wouldn't release further details because of the ongoing investigations.
Found by mother
Locust Township police said similar packaging material has been linked to the near death of Jason Ryan Kobbe, who allegedly overdosed during the early-morning hours of Feb. 4 at his home at 131 Wynn School Road.
Kobbe has been charged by Locust Township Patrolman Nicholas Thorpe with possession of drug paraphernalia involving approximately 10 blue wax paper empty heroin bags marked "Double Dose," which police found floating in a downstairs toilet in Kobbe's home.
Kobbe is scheduled to face a preliminary hearing at 1:45 p.m. May 2 before Magisterial District Judge Craig Long of Catawissa.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Thorpe, Kobbe was found by his mother, Suzanne Kobbe, at 3:35 a.m. barely breathing and foaming from the mouth. Police said Kobbe consumed heroin and had to be given Narcan, a medication that counteracts the effects of opiates such as heroin.
As Kobbe regained consciousness, he began to resist medics' efforts to treat him before relaxing after being able to breathe on his own.
Police said Kobbe eventually became fully conscious, sat up and began vomiting on the floor before being taken on a stretcher to an awaiting ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.
Link to Glosser bust?
Thorpe was informed at 5 a.m. that day by Ralpho Township Patrolman Christopher Grow that Kobbe was possibly involved in a burglary and possibly purchased narcotics from two individuals that Grow had in custody. Police said it was possible the narcotics Kobbe purchased were used in his overdose.
Kobbe's mother told police her son was out most of the night with friends and returned home around 11 or 11:30 p.m. She said her son had completed a treatment program for drug addiction in December and that he had been struggling to stay clean.
Suzanne Kobbe granted Thorpe permission to search her home, where the empty heroin packages were found. Police also discovered a spoon that was bent into the shape necessary to liquify heroin before injection.
Thorpe later learned from Grow that Jason Kobbe had been with Jordan Detalente, 18, of Bloomsburg, and that he allegedly obtained heroin from individuals associated with Detalente.
Detalente, her boyfriend, Allen Mikael Varilek, 21, of Slatington, and Justice Devlin Hoffman, 18, of Slatington, were charged by Grow with multiple drug offenses in connection with a Feb. 4 incident at Glosser Motor Inn in Paxinos.
A search warrant was obtained for the room where the three defendants were found. Police said they confiscated 71 blue bags of suspected heroin, four grams of suspected marijuana, approximately eight grams of suspected cocaine, approximately one gram of Ecstasy, needles, currency and other drug paraphernalia.
Varilek and Hoffman also were charged by state police in Bethlehem in connection with a car theft and home burglary in Lehigh County.
All three defendants, who remain incarcerated at Northumberland County Prison, waived their rights to preliminary hearings and were ordered to appear for plea court in the Court of Common Pleas, Sunbury.