Finn

Janaro

Terry

EAST STROUDSBURG - A $2 million dollar marijuana organization, which operated in and around Stroudsburg, Monroe County, was broken up by agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI).

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation, known as "Operation Code Breaker," began in October 2007 and focused on the distribution of marijuana by James Finn, 28, 12 Melvin Lane, East Stroudsburg.

Evidence and testimony regarding the case was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today.

According to the grand jury, Finn developed a unique scheme for customers to order marijuana through code numbers and pagers, in an attempt to limit the exposure for the participants.

The grand jury found that customers would set up their accounts, which included their name and cell phone number.  Finn allegedly then provided the customer with a pager number and a four-digit code to use when they wanted to order marijuana.

Corbett said that customers would dial the pager number and then place a 10 digit number into the pager. The first three numbers were random and had no specific meaning, the next four numbers were the customer's code and the final three numbers were again random.

Agents said that after the person monitoring the pager received a page and identified the customer based on their code, they would call the customer and negotiate a sales price and a location to deliver the marijuana.

The grand jury found that the dispatcher would then call a "deliveryman" to meet the customer at the pre-arranged location. It was then the deliveryman's responsibility to return the money to Finn.

Agents identified Finn's primary dispatcher as Thomas Janaro and his primary deliveryman as Arif Terry both of East Stroudsburg.

"Mr. Finn developed a very sophisticated process for completing drug transactions," Corbett said. "With the help of his dispatcher and deliveryman he was able to effectively complete drug deals and quickly move marijuana to customers across Stroudsburg."

During the course of the investigation agents arranged five controlled marijuana buys with the Finn organization. The buys conducted ranged from a quarter pound of marijuana for $900 to one pound of marijuana for $3,300. The bags of marijuana were often sealed with stickers of a smiley face icon with a zippered mouth.

Agents estimate that the Finn organization was responsible for the distribution of as much as 700 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of over $2 million.

Corbett said that agents executed a search of Janero's residence and seized 2 ½ pounds of marijuana, $3,000, heat seal bags, a digital scale, a bag cutter, a heat sealer, zip lock bags with smiley face stickers and a Smith and Wesson .9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Corbett thanked the Monroe County District Attorney Dave Christine, Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the Mount Pocono Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.

The defendants will be prosecuted in Monroe County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Lawrence Cherba of the Attorney General's Drug Strike Force.

A list of the defendants and the charges against them is below.

• James Finn, 28, 12 Melvin Lane, East Stroudsburg, is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of delivery/possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.
• Arif Terry, 29, 124 Maple St., Stroudsburg, is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of delivery/possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.
• Thomas Janaro, 24, 59 Prospect Hill, East Stroudsburg, is charged with two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of possession of marijuana, one count of delivery/possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.