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Luzerne County man first to receive Pennsylvania Veterans Service Medal

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Voters try out paper-trail election machine options at Luzerne County demo

<p>EDWARDSVILLE &#8212; A toddler was found inside a bedroom of a Zerby Avenue residence filled with illegal narcotics and packaging materials Tuesday, according to court records.</p><p>An 11-month-old girl was within &#8220;arm&#8217;s reach&#8221; of fentanyl and heroin when agents with the Luzerne County Drug Task Force and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at 169 Zerby Ave., authorities say. An apartment in the Schooley Avenue complex in Exeter was also searched as part of the same investigation.</p><p>Agents targeted the two locations they alleged were used to package and peddle large amounts of fentanyl and heroin since January.</p><p>Corey Foster, 36, and his wife, Jill M. Foster, 35, were arrested at the Zerby Avenue residence. Kristen L. Martin, 33, was arrested at the apartment in Exeter.</p><p>Agents allege Corey Foster sold fentanyl and heroin several times from his Zerby Avenue house in January and February, and from Martin&#8217;s apartment on Monday.</p><p>After the alleged drug sales, agents served search warrants at the two locations, finding the toddler in a bedroom near fentanyl and heroin, court records say.</p><p>Packages of fentanyl, marijuana, Suboxone, more than $3,900 cash and packaging materials were found in the bedroom on Zerby Avenue, and quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials and more than $1,300 cash were found at the Exeter apartment.</p><p>Corey Foster, Jill Foster and Martin were arraigned late Tuesday by District Judge Thomas Malloy in Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Corey Foster was charged with nine counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, three counts of criminal use of a communication facility and a single count of endangering the welfare of children. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $325,000 bail.</p><p>Jill Foster was charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of children. She was jailed for lack of $175,000 bail.</p><p>Martin was charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal use of a communication facility. She was jailed for lack of $175,000 bail.</p><p>The bust on Zerby Avenue, which travels through Edwardsville and Kingston, is the second related to drug trafficking this month.</p><p>Irron P. Groves, 39, of 118 Zerby Ave., Kingston, and Michael Dempsey, 51, of 206 1/2 Zerby Ave., were arrested Feb. 20 on charges they were peddling crack cocaine and marijuana.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Jill-Foster-02272019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jill Foster </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Jill-Foster-02272019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jill Foster </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Kristen-Martin-02272019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Martin </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Kristen-Martin-02272019.jpg</photo1><caption1>Martin </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Corey-Foster-02272019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Corey Foster </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Corey-Foster-02272019.jpg</photo2><caption2>Corey Foster </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Police: Toddler found near fetanyl, heroin in Edwardsville