Eight suspected Monroe and Carbon County drug and illegal gun dealers were charged Friday, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the dealers sold $1.3 million in heroin, crystal meth and other narcotics over a 20-month period in Stroudsburg, Albrightsville and surrounding areas.

“These drug and illegal gun dealers sold thousands of dollars in heroin and crystal meth every day for over a year in Stroudsburg and surrounding areas until our investigators and law enforcement partners shut them down,” Shapiro said. “We also seized 39 illegal guns during the course of our investigation. The people of Monroe and Carbon counties are fed up with drugs and illegal guns in their communities. I hear them, and today we shut this ring down.”

Charges against the eight include corrupt organizations and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, both felonies.

Agents, working with detectives from the office of Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine Jr. and state police, identified Eric Waldron, 45, of Saylorsburg, as the ringleader of the drug ring. Waldron is still at large, according to Shapiro.

The ring’s main supplier of illegal guns was Eric Borger, 55, of Kunkletown. The heroin supplier was Dorthea Price, 57, of Albrightsville. The crystal meth supplier was William “Spanky” Shannon IV, 43, of Stroudsburg.

Starting last September, agents began making a series of controlled drug purchases from ring members. Some of the heroin bought during the investigation was believed to contain fentanyl, an opioid pain medication that is 100 times more potent than morphine.

Following Waldron’s incarceration last October on unrelated charges, his girlfriend, Paula Brown 39, of Long Pond, told an informant she was now running the ring. During one drug buy, Brown, who is also still at large, told the informant she could sell a gun — but first needed to discuss it with Waldron. Brown later sold a .22-caliber handgun to the informant.

Investigators seized 39 handguns, shotguns, rifles, assault rifles and ammunition, as well as heroin, crystal meth, pills, other drugs and drug packaging materials.

Additional people charged include William Rutt Jr., 51, of Saylorsburg; Joseph St. Clair, 58, of East Stroudsburg; and Melissa Dennis, 40, of East Stroudsburg.

The five defendants in custody were arraigned Friday before Magisterial District Justice Colleen Mancuso. Bail was set at $250,000 for the arrested defendants. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 6. Senior Deputy Attorney General Timothy Doherty will prosecute the case.