Police say Matthew Byrne was the drug trafficking ring leader Photo courtesy of the Bucks County DA
A six-man drug ring involved smuggling millions of dollars of meth and cocaine by hiding in karaoke speakers, police said, from California to multiple suburbs of Philadelphia. According to the Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer M. Schorn, who announced the charges on Wednesday, said it took the teamwork of multiple authorities and departments to shut the system down.
The Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), and the Attorney General’s Office worked in tandem to dismantle the “Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization,” which was led, police say, by Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall, in Marple Township, Delaware County.
According to Schorn, an investigation found that Byrne made many trips to Los Angeles, once or twice per month for a year, solely for the purpose of purchasing cocaine and methamphetamine drugs to “fuel the drug empire.” Authorities said that the drugs were purchased in California due to its proximity to Mexico driving a lower cost of illegal drugs.
Each trip Byrne made to L.A., the DA said, only lasted two or three days, during which Byrne “met with narcotics brokers to purchase drugs, smuggled them inside Bluetooth speakers or homemade wooden boxes, and then shipped them to Pennsylvania providing fake names as the recipients of the packages.”
According to reports, detectives tracked 12 different shipments to location in Bristol Township, as well as some to Montgomery County locations, that each contained “hundreds or thousands of dollars in drugs.” Most of the tracked packages were delivered to Byrne’s brother’s home in Gable Hill Road in Bristol Township.
Joseph Byrne, brother of Matthew ByrneAlong the shipment, authorities reported intercepting the packages at the United Parcel Services’ (UPS) Worldport facility based in Louisville, Kentucky. The DA reported that nearly $1.2 million in coke and meth was found stashed inside the three intercepted speakers.
“The men and women in law enforcement who worked this case and continue to work this case should be praised for unearthing extensive evidence that establishes this was a very complex and incredibly profitable drug trafficking organization,” Schorn said. “One can only imagine how many lives were spared by the interception of these dangerous drugs.”
Schorn added that the case should also be a warning for others trying to traffic drugs in and around Bucks County.
“I hope the outcome of this investigation serves to warn drug dealers in our community that you will be identified, caught, and prosecuted for your crimes,” she said. “And we will not tolerate criminal enterprises that profit from those who suffer from addiction.”
On Monday, Aug. 5, the alleged ring-leader Byrne and his brother, Joseph Byrne, 47, of Bristol, were arraigned alongside Khalik Kemp, 34, of Philadelphia, and Christian Garwood, 55, of Flourtown, Montgomery County, were all arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Terrence Hughes. All four were committed to Bucks County Correctional Facility with Matthew Byrne on a $5 million bail, Joseph Byrne and Kemp on $3 million bail, and Garwood on $1 million bail.
Khalik Kemp
Christian Garwood The two additional alleged accomplices, Ralph Brooks, 42, of Los Angeles, and Chaz Harness-Walker, 40, of Inglewood, are both also charged, but have not yet been taken into custody in California.
Ralph Brooks is still at large in California 
Chaz Harness-Walker is still at large in California The six men will face charges, according to Schorn, that include corrupt organizations, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, conspiracy to dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, and criminal use of a communication facility.
Pennsylvania District Attorney General Michelle Henry said that this case is a prime example of multiple entities working together for justice.
“This case shows there are no limits to the lengths traffickers will go to make a profit dealing poisons that devastate families and communities,” said Henry. “This multimillion-dollar network involved monthly, cross-country trips to California where buys were made, and shipments were arranged back to the Commonwealth. Great collaboration by law enforcement partners interrupted this sophisticated organization and closed a cocaine and methamphetamine pipeline.”
A variety of methods were employed, according to reports, to gather evidence in this case, including tracking travel records, intercepting communications, and conducting surveillance in both California and Pennsylvania. Roles, including those of distributors, transporters, storage coordinators, street-level traffickers, and narcotics brokers, were outlined by authorities, per reports, via these methods.
In addition to the three speakers filled with narcotics, detectives said they recovered two additional Bluetooth speakers than had already been emptied but tested positive for cocaine residue inside.
Schorn said that, on July 18, detectives executed search warrants for the several residences connected with the still active and on-going investigation located in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. Additional drugs, including cocaine, drug paraphernalia, four guns, and more than $20,000 cash were recovered, police said.
“The partnership between HSI Philadelphia and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is truly outstanding,” said HSI Philadelphia Assistant Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “Through our cooperative efforts, we have dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking organization and brought four of its principal members to justice.”
Karabinas thanked the Bucks County DA’s office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Henry’s office, the Liberty Mid-Atlantic Area HIDTA, and all the Philadelphia El Dorado Task Force partners that “contributed to the enforcement operations” that led to Monday’s charges and arrests.
Schorn echoed the teamwork amongst the various authorities, also including the Drug Strike Force and county detectives, agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the AGO, detectives and K-9 partners with the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“Investigations into drug trafficking organizations are challenging, incredibly time-consuming, and dangerous,” said Schorn.
Also assisting in the case is Bristol Township, Middletown Township, Radnor Township, and Whitemarsh Township police departments, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, the Philadelphia police, Montgomery and Delaware counties’ detectives.
Deputy DA Thomas C. Gannon and Deputy DA John T. Fegley are assigned to prosecute the accused.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
