The Lancaster Bureau of Police Selective Enforcement Unit (SEU) is comprised of (6) Officers and a Sergeant. SEU conducts a variety of investigations, details and quality of life enforcement. 

One of the primary duties of SEU is to identify, investigate and apprehend street level drug distribution rings. SEU also conducts details that deal with prostitution and the solicitation of prostitution. There is a clear nexus between human trafficking/ drug distribution and prostitution. 

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has an investigative division known as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Those Federal Agents have specialized training and legal authority to investigate a myriad of criminal activity to include human smuggling and trafficking; narcotics and weapons smuggling/ trafficking and transnational gang activity. 

HSI agents based out of Philadelphia have contacted municipal law enforcement agencies in SE Pennsylvania to meet and get a better understanding of how our drug investigations, prostitution related investigations and apprehensions are conducted. 

HSI agents were invited to ride with and observe members of SEU and other Officers from our department as they conducted a warrant sweep. This occurred on Thursday August 8, 2019. SEU had conducted numerous drug delivery investigations and as a result of those investigations, warrants were obtained for numerous suspects. HSI agents were not present in an enforcement capacity they were along strictly as observers. 

SEU made several stops to serve arrest warrants at various locations around Lancaster City. During one such warrant service on St. Joseph St., a neighbor posted a couple photos of members of SEU with HSI agents as they found that the target of the warrant was not home but at another location in Lancaster City. The poster expressed concern that HSI agents were in Lancaster related to illegal immigration enforcement. That is not the case. HSI has the ability to provide assistance to municipal law enforcement agencies as it relates to drug smuggling, weapons smuggling and human trafficking. Those are all areas of concern for SEU and the investigations that they undertake on a regular basis. 

As a result of the warrant sweep conducted on August 8, 2019 a total of (6) arrests were made. 

Scott Wimer M/48 200 blk. Ruby St./ Arrested 600 blk. Columbia Ave. 

Warrants for Delivery of Synthetic Cannabinoids (F), Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance (F), Criminal Use of a Communications Facility (F3) 

Juan Umpierre M/32 200 blk. E. Lemon St. / Arrested 200 blk. E. Lemon St. 

Warrants for Delivery of Crack Cocaine (F), Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance (F) 

Luis Pagan-Rodriguez M/49 100 blk. Dauphin St. / Arrested 100 blk. Dauphin St. 

Warrant for Delivery Crack Cocaine (F), Criminal Conspiracy to Deliver a Controlled Substance (F), Criminal Use a Communications Facility (F3). 

David Emerick M/43 600 blk. St. Joseph St./ Arrested 500 blk. N. Duke St. 

Warrants for Delivery of Fentanyl (F), Delivery of Heroin (F) and Criminal Use of a Communications Facility. 

Daniel Rodriguez M/27 400 blk. Pershing Ave. / Arrested 200 blk. W. King St. 

Warrant for Delivery of Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2) (F) 

Skyler Barr M/23 1000 blk. Grofftown Rd. / Arrested 1st blk. Old Dorwart St. 

Arrested on Lancaster County Bench Warrant. Summons to be sent for Possession of Methamphetamines (M), Possession of Synthetic Cannabinoids (M) and Possession Drug Paraphernalia (M) 

As of the time of this press release, none of the defendants listed above have been arraigned on their respective criminal complaints. Bail information was not available. 

All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.