Pocono News Section

Dope Dealing Grandmas

Dope Dealing Grandmas - Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 6:00PM EST

STROUD TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - Accused dope dealing Gradmas waived their right to preliminary hearings Wednesday.
There's a little blue trailer just off of Ehler Street in Stroud Township. It could be any Grandmother's house. There's a little garden outside where gnomes watch over things. But those gnomes may have seen more than just grandchildren looking for hugs. It appears drug users looking for heroin also visited.

"I don't think they fit any kind of stereotypical drug dealing profile," said Assistant District Attorney Mike Mancuso. Police say senior citizen sisters dealt heroin from their homes in Stroud Township. Elizabeth Grube is 70 years old. Her sister Elaine Volkert is 65. Both refused to talk about the accusations.

Court papers say over the past few months the sisters have distributed several thousand bags of heroin in the Poconos. Defense Attorney Jason LaBar said, "There's no motivation behind it. I think the ladies got caught up in something and it just kept rolling along." He said the women will likely plead guilty. They'll share information about a higher level dealer and hope for a lighter sentence in return. "I think they're definitely sorry," he remarked.

People who live in the sisters' neighborhood said they're shocked - and supportive. Eyewitness News spoke to about a dozen neighbors. They all said they felt bad for the women. Patrick Jeanty explained, "They might need some money and then they don't have no choice."

A man who would not give his name said, "Things are bad right now - you got worse people than them out there - you gotta do what you gotta do."

The sisters will likely be punished with jail or probation.

As part of their cooperation, the sisters lead police to their supplier. They say they got the drugs from Allentown man Julio Checo. He has a hearing scheduled for next week.