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News 'Hurst students crack methamphetamine case
By Liz Maier Staff writer Two Mercyhurst College intelligence studies student interns received praise from the Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett after helping the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control dismantle a massive methamphetamine case. Juniors Samantha Shelnick and Justin Zabiegala analyzed over 35,000 lines of data gathered from various pharmacies across Pennsylvania and Ohio. They pinpointed 29 individuals who were involved in what is
being called the oldest-known methamphetamine manufacturing operation in north- Director of the investigation and 1981 graduate from Mercyhurst, Dennis Tobin, credited Shelnick and Zabiegala for discovering patterns and trends indicating criminal behavior. By analyzing data, Shelnick and Zabiegala identified “red flags,” or customers who bought multiple boxes of pseudoephedrine in the same day. “The most difficult aspect of the internship was how tedious it was to input and analyze the logs; but obviously that work is very necessary and worth it in the end,” Shelnick said. Guiding Shelnick and Zabiegala through out the case, faculty advisor David Grabelski said, “The data lines that were examined were names of individuals who bought pseudoephedrine products.” “The difficult part was analyzing the data to determine further relationships that were useful, such as who is shopping with whom, the area where they’re shopping and if they are shopping in more than one location every day,” Zabiegala said. Shelnick and Zabiegala’s efforts led agents to connect the accomplices or “pill shoppers” to the operation leaders, Robert and James Frey. Attorney General Corbett said investigators believe brothers Robert and James Frey from Albion, Pa., were the organizers in the operation for 14 years. Investigators seized 9.6 pounds, or $142,000 worth, of meth and meth oil from the Frey brothers’ home. The investigation, “Operation Family Cook-Out,” began in March 2007. Three interns before Shelnick and Zabiegala also helped and contributed with the investigation. “They (Shelnick and Zabiegala) put the final touches on the investigation,” said Greblaski. Shelnick and Zabiegala saved the citizens of Pennsylvania a significant amount of money by dismantling the meth operation. “They did the work load of one police officer’s annual salary for free,” said Greblaski. Neither Shelnick nor Zabiegala were paid while interning. “The most challenging part of the internship was balancing the different projects I was assigned, specifically when we’re right in the middle of a big case like the Frey case,” Zabiegala said. “In a given day, I might come in to simply update our master database, but then I might be tasked to do work on a current investigation,” said Zabiegala. “And if we are close to making arrests or executing search warrants I might be tasked to gather information to facilitate that process.” Shelnick said the internship was somewhat challenging, but that his training from Mercyhurst’s intelligence really gave him the tools needed to be helpful in this investigation.
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