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Three people arrested this fall on suspicion of being a part of a methamphetamine and heroin trafficking organization working in Lewis, Thurston and Yakima counties have been indicted on charges in U.S. District Court.
Torina Lorenzano, 46, of Yakima, and Dawn Marie Cooper, 43, of Shelton, were both indicted by a grand jury Nov. 10 on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of heroin with intent.
Lorenzano and Cooper were arrested on Oct. 11 in Packwood after being found with more than a pound of methamphetamine and about a half pound of heroin, with a street value of an estimated $150,000.
Another suspect in the case, William “Aaron” Barge, 41, of Centralia, was arrested Sept. 29 in Lewis County on suspicion of possessing and distributing methamphetamine.
Barge was also indicted by a grand jury Nov. 10 with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The suspects were originally charged in Lewis County Superior Court, but the cases were recently moved to U.S. District Court because the case had ties to existing federal investigations, according to the Joint Narcotic Enforcement Team, made up of personnel from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Centralia and Chehalis police departments.
The case also became federal because of the amount of drugs recovered, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello said.
According to court documents, JNET began investigating Barge over the summer with the help of a confidential informant. The informant reportedly told investigators that Barge dealt in large quantities of methamphetamine in Lewis and Thurston counties.
Barge was arrested Sept. 29 in Thurston County after briefly trying to evade capture. Police reportedly seized 1 ounce of methamphetamine, clean, unused bags, a digital scale and more than $12,000 in cash.
Investigators searched a residence associated with Barge in Centralia, where they found approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, two digital scales and a methamphetamine pipe.
On Sept. 30, investigators monitored a phone conversation from Barge while in the Lewis County Jail in which he reportedly told a person that police found his “90 pickles,” according to court documents.
Police then began investigating Cooper, a known “girlfriend and business partner,” of Barge’s, according to court documents. Investigators believed Cooper was continuing Barge’s drug-selling activities while he was in jail.
On Oct. 11, investigators received information from a confidential source that Cooper would meet that evening in Packwood with Lorenzano, their source for methamphetamine and heroin.
Police followed Cooper that day and arrested both suspects. Police seized more than a pound and a half of methamphetamine and 5 ounces of heroin.
Police also found $4,251 in Cooper’s purse, which she was allegedly going to use to buy methamphetamine from Lorenzano.
Lorenzano reportedly told investigators that she regularly sells 4 pounds of methamphetamine and one-half pound to 10 ounces of heroin each week.
All three suspects are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Monday.
