Suleyka Santiago, 34, of Norristown.
A Norristown woman is facing a variety of felony charges after she allegedly took the reins of her boyfriend’s drug trafficking operation and used her two juvenile daughters to distribute Oxycodone that officials suspect is actually fentanyl.
Suleyka Santiago, 34, of Norristown, has been charged with felony counts of solicitation of minors to traffic drugs, possession with intent to distribute, criminal use of a communication facility and endangering the welfare of children, in connection with the investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Investigators said they were recently alerted by a confidential information that Santiago had “taken over the drug trafficking enterprise” of her boyfriend, Kenneth Scott, of Norristown, after his arrest on felony drug charges in October 2020. The criminal complaint states that Scott was selling fake Oxycodone pills that were later tested and confirmed to be fentanyl, and he remains at county jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail.
Following that alert, police said they arranged to make a pair of controlled purchases from Santiago via a confidential informant in June:
In the first purchase, Santiago allegedly instructed the informant to meet at her vehicle outside of a business establishment in Montgomery County. On arrival, the informant entered the vehicle and made contact with Santiago’s 12-year-old and 14-year-old daughters, who sold the informant suspected fake Oxycodone pills while their mother was inside of the establishment, police said.
In the second purchase, the informant conducted a hand-to-hand transaction with Santiago outside of the same vehicle, according to the complaint.
In both instances, police said the pills were similar to the one’s Scott was accused of selling, and they believe they are fake Oxycodone pills that are actually fentanyl.
Charges were filed against Santiago on June 29. She was subsequently taken into custody and arraigned on July by District Judge Andrea Duffy, who set bail at $100,000 cash. Santiago was then remanded to county jail in lieu of bail, however she was released the following day after District Judge Garrett Page reduced bail to $10,000 unsecured.
The district attorney’s office said they filed a motion to reconsider bail on Tuesday. Santiago’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 14 at 9:30 a.m. in front of District Judge Margaret Hunsicker.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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