MEADVILLE — Four Texas residents and four Crawford County residents have been charged and are awaiting further court actions for allegedly being partners in a crime ring which investigators claim shipped a total of more than 200 pounds of marijuana from the Lonestar State to the Keystone State over a two-year period.

Twin brothers Miguel Rodriguez and Marcelino Rodriguez, both 29, of Corpus Christi; their sister, Laura Rodriguez, 30, of Chilton; and Pamela Barrientos, 25, of Eddy, were each arraigned earlier this week before Saegertown-area Magisterial District Judge Lincoln S. Zilhaver on felony charges for their alleged roles in the organization, which state and local prosecutors said included a group of Crawford County residents and involved the transport and distribution of as much as 20 pounds of marijuana per month into the region between August 2010 and this year.

Crawford County residents Elizabeth Bevilheimer, 25, of Saegertown; Jeramie Ebbert, 25, of Meadville; and Silas Mark Deets, 60, of Venango, each waived their rights to preliminary hearings on related charges recently. Another defendant in the case, Adam Wood, 25, of Venango, reportedly had related charges bound over to the next term of Crawford County Court of Common Pleas. A fifth defendant from Crawford County, Robert K. Conaway, has reportedly had related criminal charges filed against him but has not yet been arraigned, according to Zilhaver’s office.

In mid-June, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General officials reported a grand jury investigation — tagged “Operation Texas Twins” — identified the Rodriguez twins as coordinating the transportation and distribution of the marijuana. According to the grand jury, Miguel Rodriguez allegedly operated from Texas, communicating with his brother and others by phone to arrange marijuana shipments to Pennsylvania and transfer money back to Texas. The Rodriguez brothers allegedly were assisted by Conaway, who’s accused of assisting in the distribution of marijuana in and around Crawford County, according to the attorney general.

Marcelino Rodriguez and Conaway were reportedly arrested in Crawford County in August 2010 on unrelated warrants, but prosecutors allege the two attempted to continue their involvement in the organization from inside the Crawford County jail at Saegertown. The grand jury allegedly found Rodriguez and Conaway made numerous business-related telephone calls from inside the jail, which were recorded for monitoring by law enforcement.

Agents from the Attorney General’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police reportedly used information from those calls, along with surveillance, confidential informants and the review of financial records from wire transfer services to identify others who allegedly assisted in the operation, officials said in June.

Barrientos is accused of being a distributor of funds for the organization — receiving thousands of dollars in wire transfers and then communicating by phone with Marcelino Rodriguez about how much money different participants should be making from the drug transactions.

Laura Rodriguez allegedly assisted in the transfer of drug money, and prosecutors allege she was heard on intercepted prison telephone calls with Marcelino Rodriguez discussing the sale price of marijuana being sold in Pennsylvania, New York and Georgia.

The four from Texas each have their preliminary hearings before Zilhaver tentatively scheduled for Tuesday next week.

Bevilheimer is accused of assisting in the recovery of the car Conaway and Rodriguez were driving when they were arrested in 2010. Bevilheimer also allegedly was involved in at least eight wire transfers of money to Texas, totaling more than $15,000, and was allegedly overheard in recorded prison phone calls complaining that she was not getting enough money for her work.

Prosecutors allege Ebbert served as the recipient of marijuana shipments from Texas and assisted with the sale of drugs to street-level buyers.

Deets is accused of being paid with cash and drugs to receive shipments of marijuana from Texas which were arranged by Conaway. One of those deliveries to Deets, containing approximately 4.5 kilos or 10 pounds of marijuana, was intercepted by U.S. Postal Service inspectors, officials said.

Miguel and Marcelino Rodriguez were both arraigned this week on attorney general-filed charges including criminal conspiracy, corrupt organizations, possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility, according to Zilhaver’s office. Following their preliminary arraignments, the brothers were committed to Crawford County jail, each in lieu of $1 million bond.

Laura Rodriguez and Barrientos were both arraigned on Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation-filed charges of one count each of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, criminal use of a communication facility and conspiracy. Following their preliminary arraignments, both were committed to the jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.

Bevilheimer waived her right to a preliminary hearing last week on state police charges of one count each of dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, criminal use of a communication facility and conspiracy. She was recommitted to the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bond, according to case reports from Zilhaver’s office.

Ebbert reportedly waived his right to a preliminary hearing on related charges of one count each of possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility and conspiracy. He was recommitted to the county jail in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Deets reportedly waived his right to a preliminary hearing on related charges of one count each of conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility. He was released on $15,000 unsecured bond.

Wood was reportedly bound over to the next term of county court on related charges including corrupt organizations employee, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility. He was recommitted to the county jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Deets is scheduled to appear for formal arraignment in Crawford County Court of Common Pleas on Friday, according to Zilhaver’s office, while Bevilheimer, Ebbert and Wood are scheduled to appear for their formal arraignments July 27.

Officials have said the defendants are expected to be prosecuted in Crawford County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Douglas J. Wright of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.

Along with state police, the Crawford County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force reportedly assisted with the investigation.

Officials previously said authorities in Texas are continuing a related investigation seeking to identify the original sources for the marijuana involved in this case.