A Bensalem woman and an Arizona woman conspired to smuggle crystal meth into Bucks County through the Philadelphia airport, according to court records.
Karen Iacovelli, 47, of Third Avenue in Bensalem and Brandi Novak, 39, of Peoria, Ariz., face drug trafficking and conspiracy charges as a result of their Oct. 6 arrests.
According to court records, police were tipped that Iacovelli was picking up Novak at Philadelphia International Airport about 3 p.m. that day. Novak would have crystal meth, a form of methamphetamine, which she brought to Pennsylvania from Arizona, according to the records.
Bensalem police were watching Iacovelli's home when she and Novak showed up about 5:40 p.m. in a red Volkeswagen Jetta, according to the court papers. Iacovelli's 8-year-old son was with them, the documents show. Police said that they found 10 grams of crystal meth in Novak's pocket. Investigators also found an un-prescribed painkiller in Iacovelli's pocket, according to the paperwork.
Records indicate that the two women admitted they had conspired to have Novak bring the meth to Iacovelli, who would sell five of the 10 grams at $100 apiece while Novak would use the other 5 grams.
Neither woman has a prior criminal record in Pennsylvania.
Iacovelli has been a substitute bus driver for Bensalem School District since April 2007, according to Superintendent William Gretzula. He said that police told school officials that there are no indications she was committing any crimes while driving buses or on school property, including buses. He said Iacovelli passed all the district's background checks.