'Drug empire' accused of smuggling cocaine, meth across US in Bluetooth karaoke speakers

Six men a part of a "drug empire" hid millions of dollars worth of meth and cocaine inside Bluetooth karaoke speakers and smuggled the narcotic-filled devices from California to Pennsylvania, state officials said.

The Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization shipped around $5 million in drugs over the past six months, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn announced Wednesday during a news conference. Now its members face a slew of drug-related and corrupt organization charges, Schorn added.

“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 and we will not tolerate criminal enterprises that profit from those who suffer from addiction," Schorn said.

State prosecutors allege Matthew James Byrne, 43, of Broomall, Delaware County, is the leader of the organization. Investigators learned that Byrne made numerous trips to Los Angeles, either once or twice a month throughout this year, to buy cocaine and meth to fund their organization, the Bucks County DA's office said in a news release.

How did the Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization smuggle cocaine and meth?

The reason Byrne bought the drugs in California is because of the state's proximity to Mexico and the lower cost of illicit drugs, according to prosecutors. The cross-country trips to Los Angeles would be for two to three days and involve Byrne meeting with narcotic brokers to purchase drugs, smuggling them inside the Bluetooth speakers or homemade wooden boxes then shipping them to Pennsylvania by providing fake names as the recipients of the packages.

Narcotics detectives tracked 12 shipments to areas in Bristol Township and Montgomery County, with each package containing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs, the DA's office said. The majority of the packages were delivered to Byrne's brother, 47-year-old Joseph Byrne, in Bristol Township.

Authorities at the United Parcel Sercie's Woldport facility in Kentucky were able to intercept three of the shipments, finding nearly $1.2 million in cocaine and meth concealed inside three Bluetooth speakers, according to prosecutors.

The Byrne brothers, 34-year-old Khalik Kemp, of Philadelphia, and 55-year-old Christian Garwood, of Flourton, Montgomery County, were arraigned on Monday. Two California men — 42-year-old Ralph Brooks, of Los Angeles, and 40-year-old Chaz Harness-Walker, of Inglewood — have also been charged for being a part of the organization, but they are not yet in custody.

How did the Byrne Drug Trafficking Organization get caught?

To apprehend the alleged drug traffickers, detectives tracked travel records, intercepted communications and surveilled the suspects in both California and Pennsylvania, according to the DA's office. During one of the intercepted communications, a member of the drug organization was heard describing the quality of the cocaine they bought in California as "slamming" and "powerful."

Throughout the investigation, detectives identified members of the organization and their roles, which included "distributors, transporters, storage coordinators, street-level traffickers, and narcotics brokers," prosecutors said. Two Bluetooth speakers were also recovered during the investigation, and although they were emptied, tests confirmed a positive result for cocaine residue inside the devices.

Detectives also executed a search warrant on July 18 at several homes in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery counties, subsequently seizing cocaine, other drugs, drug paraphernalia, four guns and more than $20,000 in cash, according to the DA's office.

“This case shows there are no limits to the lengths traffickers will go to make a profit dealing poisons that devastate families and communities,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said in the release. "Great collaboration by law enforcement partners interrupted this sophisticated organization and closed a cocaine and methamphetamine pipeline.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Drug empire' smuggled cocaine and meth in Bluetooth karaoke speakers