Most of the young suspects who appeared are students at well-respected schools in the area. They came to court with their parents and attorneys.
The suspects were identified as 'sub-dealers' for the operation: Daniel McGrath, 18, of Glenolden, a student at the Haverford School; Christian Euler of Villanova, 23, a student at Layfayette College; Willow Orr, 22, of Philadelphia; and Reid Cohen, 18, a Haverford College student from north Jersey.
They're all charged with possessing and distributing drugs, specifically marijuana.
The ring was allegedly run by two graduates of the prestigious Haverford School: 25-year-old Neil Scott and 18-year-old Timothy Brooks.
Investigators say Scott and Brooks called their enterprise "the Main Line Takeover Project" and recruited young dealers at the Haverford School, Radnor and Lower Merion high schools to sell drugs to students at five high schools and three colleges in the western suburbs.
Police carried out raids of the alleged kingpins' homes and say they found marijuana, cocaine, cash, and weapons including a loaded AR-15 assault rifle.
On Tuesday, Scott Wilhelm, the attorney for one of the accused dealers, 29-year-old Domenic Curcio, of Philadelphia, said his client may be a drug user- but never a dealer.
"Mr. Curcio doesn't even know Mr. Brooks at all. He's familiar with Mr. Scott. He's not involved to the extent that the other two were. He was basically just a user of drugs, honestly," Wilhelm said.
Wilhelm says his client is cooperating with investigators.
Meanwhile, we did learn Tuesday that Timothy Brooks has checked into a rehab facility and so his court dates are being postponed.
All five who appeared Tuesday will be back in court for their arraignments on June 18th in Norristown.
