You're In Control When Tv Scrapes The Bottom

Bar Owner Says Cops Targeting Business 
A Hearing Examiner Listens To Wilkes-barre Police And Other Parties On Whether
Desi's Should Lose Its Liquor License.

Saturday, February 10, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 9A 





Three individuals associated with a $6.5 million cocaine trafficking ring
in Luzerne and Lackawanna pleaded guilty Friday in Lackawanna County Court,
said a release issued by the state Office of Attorney General. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tara Verity of Lake Ariel, Stephen Loss of Dunmore and John ``Skip''
Valvano of Scranton, admitted to assisting Jason Tricarico in operating one of
the largest cocaine organizations in the history of Northeastern Pennsylvania
from 1994 to 1998, the release stated. Tricarico previously pleaded guilty and
is serving a 14- to 28-year prison sentence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Verity, 30, pleaded guilty before Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas
Judge Trish Corbett to conspiracy to deliver between 100 and 1,000 grams of
cocaine. She admitted to conspiring with Tricarico and others to obtain
cocaine from New York City and bring it back to Scranton to sell, said state
Attorney General Mike Fisher in the release. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fisher said Loss, 26, a cocaine customer of, and sub-distributor for
Tricarico, pleaded guilty before Corbett to conspiracy to deliver between 50
and 100 grams of cocaine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Valvano, 33, pleaded guilty before Lackawanna County Senior Judge James
Walsh to possession of cocaine. Valvano also admitted to obtaining cocaine
from Loss and others during 1997 and 1998, Fisher said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Verity and Loss each face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Valvano faces up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

3 Plead Guilty To Helping Run Drug Ring