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Mom charged in drug sale

A Lansford woman who claimed to be the victim of a Feb. 10 robbery was actually helping to orchestrate a drug sale, according to court documents.

The woman, Casey Rodweller, is also the mother of 15-year-old Eric Rodweller, who was charged as an adult for a stabbing that took place just moments after the alleged sale went awry.

Casey, who was arraigned in district court Friday, faces counts of conspiracy, corruption of minors, manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver and tampering with evidence, among other charges.

According to the court documents:

On Feb. 10, Anthony Campanell, a Lansford police officer, was dispatched to the 400 block of West Abbott Street for a report of a robbery. Casey Rodweller told Campanell she had been robbed and identified 18-year-old Rene Figueroa as the assailant. Casey and Figueroa were supposed to meet for the sale of a video gaming system, Casey told police.

Approximately 15 minutes after the robbery was called in, a stabbing was reported on West Patterson Street. In an initial interview with police, Eric Rodweller admitted to stabbing the victim, telling investigators he and the victim got into a fight over the earlier robbery. Eric told police he was scared of the victim, and pulled out a knife without realizing it.

Eric and his father directed police to the location of the knife as well as a bloodstained hoodie which Eric was allegedly wearing.

In a subsequent interview, the stabbing victim gave police a different story than Eric Rodweller. He said Eric stabbed him while he was being punched, choked, and pinned down by Eric’s father — who has not been charged.

Further investigation revealed that the stabbing was actually the result of a marijuana sale gone wrong, police said.

The sale reportedly never actually involved a game system. Instead, the Rodwellers and an unidentified minor had coordinated a drug sale with Figueroa, which took a bad turn when Figueroa, ran off with the drugs without paying.

Figueroa had brought the stabbing victim to the sale. But the victim told police he believed Figueroa was buying a game system.

After Figueroa took off with the drugs, Richard Rodweller allegedly punched victim in the face repeatedly and used the victim’s sweatshirt to pin him to the ground and choke him. While the victim was pinned down, Eric took out a knife and began stabbing him.

The victim was stabbed at least three times, in the center chest, the chest/lung area and the heel, documents say.

The victim said he looked at Casey Rodweller and begged her to help him.

The victim’s wallet was taken and never recovered. The attackers stripped off the backpack and ransacked it. His cellphone was destroyed. His shoes were removed.

Casey Rodweller admitted to witnessing the assault. She said the assault “was so violent and nasty that she got scared and could not watch.” She said she briefly left to search for Figueroa, but eventually returned.

Casey told the victim police were coming, and the victim was told to leave.

The victim walked to a friend’s home near the Lansford Turkey Hill and was eventually picked up by emergency medical services. He told police at this point he realized he was stabbed in the lung as he could not breathe.

The Rodwellers left the scene and returned home.