Former Delaware County resident charged with felony drug and gun trafficking offenses in Maryland.

A former resident of Delaware County, Michelle Zajko, age 32, has been charged with serious felony offenses related to firearms and drug trafficking in Maryland. Zajko, who is a prominent figure associated with a group identified as the Zizians, is also noted as a person of interest in the unsolved murders of her parents.

Zajko was arrested in Allegany County in February along with two other associates of the Zizians, after local authorities discovered them camping illegally in box trucks outside a residence in Frostburg, Maryland. Initially facing misdemeanor charges including trespassing and resisting arrest, the situation escalated significantly when a grand jury recently approved more severe charges against all three individuals. These charges involve the possession of firearms, specifically two handguns, a .50 caliber rifle, as well as the hallucinogenic substance LSD.

Zajko’s legal representation has not commented publicly on the matter since her arrest. Currently, she remains incarcerated without the possibility of bail, following a ruling by a Maryland judge who deemed Zajko and her co-defendants a danger to the community.

Born in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania, Zajko is the daughter of Richard and Rita Zajko, both found murdered in their home on New Year’s Eve 2022, an event that remains under investigation. Despite her connection to the Zizians, a group implicated in various violent crimes, Zajko has not been charged in relation to her parents’ killings and has publicly denied any involvement.

In recent years, Zajko’s association with the Zizians has drawn significant scrutiny from law enforcement at multiple levels. Investigators have expressed a sustained interest in speaking with her concerning the circumstances surrounding her parents’ deaths. Notably, she was detained in Pennsylvania shortly after her parents’ funeral, questioning continued regarding her involvement with LaSota, the group’s de facto leader, who has faced his own legal challenges.

In a concerning related incident, members of the Zizians were allegedly involved in a gunfight with U.S. Border Patrol agents near Vermont’s border with Canada, resulting in a fatality. Prosecutors allege that Zajko purchased the firearms used in that encounter. Following her arrest in Maryland, she was charged with federal gun offenses connected to that incident.

The case has garnered significant media attention, highlighting the troubling trajectory of Zajko’s life from a former bioinformatician to a figure entangled in serious criminal allegations. As the investigation unfolds, authorities continue to pursue all aspects surrounding the Zajko family’s tragedy as well as the broader implications of the actions taken by the Zizians.

The public remains watchful for further developments in this significant case, which intertwines familial tragedy with questions of public safety and extremist affiliations.

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