The majority of the 17 people indicted by a grand jury for operating a drug ring in which heroin and cocaine were brought from York County to Butler County last year waived their preliminary hearings Friday, Jan. 3.

State police filed charges Nov. 20 against the 17 suspects before several of those suspects were named in a second grand jury indictment for operating a local distribution ring and charged on Dec. 19.

Jeffrey A. Wilkins, 41, of York, who was named as the ringleader of the alleged York-to-Butler network, and his wife Jerrica L. Wilkins, 31, of York, had their hearings continued Friday before District Judge William Fullerton.

Jeffrey Wilkins’ son Amire D. McLeod, 20, of Pittsburgh, turned himself in. His hearing is pending, said Kara Cotter, senior deputy attorney general, who is prosecuting the defendants in both indictments.

Waiving their hearings were Jodi L. Taylor, 42, of Saxonburg; Marki M. Seezox, 34, of Butler; Kelly L. Wilson, 55, of Slippery Rock; Dawn K. Riddick, 49, of Butler; Tyrone Riddick, 62, of Butler; Amber R. Wallace, 43, of West Sunbury; Samantha A. Best, 31, of Ford City; Cassie R. Grossi, 45, of Butler; Richard Martsolf, 49, of Butler; Seph A. Schlobohm, 38, of Butler; and Dakota M. Sloan, 30, of Butler.

Jeffrey Wilkins’ brother, Steven A. Wilkins, 46, of New Castle, Del.; Andrew J. Loeffler, 38, of Butler; and Warren Richie, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., have not been arrested and are wanted on warrants.