Authorities arrested two men in connection with an alleged large-scale cocaine trafficking operation centered around a Reading social and gambling club, the Berks County district attorney’s office announced Friday.
Joel Elivo, 56, of the 100 block of Peach Street, and Junior Garcia-Rincon, 28, of the 300 block of North Front Street, are charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy.
Investigators gave the following account:
Detectives from the district attorney’s Drug Task Force, in conjunction with state and Reading police, conducted an undercover investigation of cocaine trafficking at a club.
The investigation identified Elivo as the manager of a social club and gambling establishment in the 300 block of North Ninth Street that served as a primary meeting location and distribution point for bulk illegal narcotics trafficking. Detectives said Garcia-Rincon was a source of supply of bulk cocaine for this network.
Investigators determined that not only was this establishment operating illegally as a gambling venue but also served as an illegal “after-hours” location and was a magnet for violent crime.
On Wednesday Berks County Judge J. Benjamin Nevius authorized search warrants at the club and a residence on Peach Street. Officers executed the warrants Thursday and found 1 kilogram of cocaine with an estimated street value of $100,000 and about $20,000 in cash.
Both men were arrested and arraigned by District Judge Tonya Butler, who set bail at $500,000 each.
“Illegal gambling houses and unlicensed ‘after-hours’ clubs are not harmless neighborhood gathering spots but are unregulated hubs that invite broader illicit activity that destabilize our communities and neighborhoods,” District Attorney John T. Adams said in a statement accompanying the arrest announcement. “These locations frequently serve as fronts for criminal enterprises and as demonstrated in this investigation, some of these places serve as fronts for illegal drug trafficking and attract violence. For too long, gambling operations have attempted to hide under the guise of private social clubs while operating outside the law.
“Our office, in close coordination with state and local law enforcement partners, remain committed to shutting down these illegal establishments and dismantling the illicit networks running inside them. This enforcement action sends a message: if you run an illegal gambling den or use an after-hours club to push illegal drugs in Berks County, we will shut down your operation, seize your illicit proceeds, and hold you fully accountable under the law”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact county detectives at 610-478-7171 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Alert Berks County by calling 877-373-9913, downloading the ALERTBERKS app on their mobile device or via text message by typing ALERTBERKS along with their tip to 847411.