Altoona Man Facing 18 Felony Drug Related Charges

A statewide grand jury is now hittina an Altoona man with a long list of felony charges. 40 year old Jonathan Delacruz was arrested last year during a drug bust. On Tuesday, Delacruz was arraigned on 18 felonies, including 15 counts of possession of a controlled substance. The charges come after an investigation spanning the last year or so, that found Delacruz to be the head of a drug ring which netted more than $1 million through the sale of heroin and cocaine between 2017 and 2020. Delacruz… who also uses the aliases “G” and “Goya,” was also charged in connection to a drug smuggling operation inside the Blair County Prison. Witnesses testified that Delacruz employed several people to package, transport and sell large quantities of heroin and cocaine in Blair and Cambria counties, after he got the drugs in New York. Those witnesses also cited large sums of money being involved… $800,000 in one instance, and $500,000 in another. Investigators now say Delacruz’s drug operations began in Johnstown before he moved to Altoona in 2019. Delcruz’s cash bail was set at $250,000, but in order cover it, Delacruz would need to post bail for each case against him…. all 18 felony charges.