Police round up drug suspects
A 73-year-old man and 23-year-old woman charged by state police with selling the prescription drug Oxycontin allegedly told authorities they were doing so to earn enough money to regain custody of her child. Elmer Moreland and Nicole Linville, both of 226 Outcrop Road, Smithfield, were two of 13 rounded up Tuesday in a raid on alleged street level drug dealers. An additional three people police had hoped to arrest could not be located.
Members of the state police Troop B, Uniontown and Redstone police started at 8 a.m. yesterday, serving warrants on suspected drug dealers and prostitutes who were targets of earlier undercover investigations.
Moreland and Linville, both of whom were arraigned before District Justice Randy Abraham, were committed to the county lock-up in lieu of $50,000 straight cash bond. Moreland was charged with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver and delivery of Oxycontin, a powerful painkiller.
Police allege that Moreland sold two pills to a confidential informant from his home on July 17. That meeting, according to papers filed at Abraham’s office, was recorded.
Arrest papers indicate that police returned to Moreland’s residence a week later and executed a search warrant on his home and found 32 additional pills. At that time, Linville reportedly told police that “they were just selling OCs in order to save money up to get her child back.”
Moreland reportedly backed up that statement, according to the arrest warrant.
Linville was charged with one count each of possession with intent to deliver and delivery of drugs.
Several other people were rounded up and charged with either possession with intent to deliver drugs, delivery of drugs or both. They include:
Tina Biddings, age unknown of 14 Dunlap Creek Village, Republic; Elizabeth Britt, 33, of 328 Greenfield Road, Star Junction; David Crookus, 19, of 83 Lemon St., Uniontown; Lemont Ford, 31, of Second Street, Cardale; Richard Grooms, 20, of 2 Collins Ave., Uniontown; Reginald Grooms, 43, of House 7, Cardale; Mark A. Hughes, 34, of 615 Tomcat Hollow Road, Smithfield; John H. Lewis, 43, of 103 Cleveland Ave., Uniontown; Wilfredo Smith, 29, of 3 Crow Ave., Uniontown; Floyd Williams Jr., 22, of 11 Kennedy St., Republic; and Torrie Wilson, 27, who is incarcerated in the county prison.
Police said that those accused sold cocaine, marijuana or prescription medications.
No information was available at press time to verify if seven Uniontown-area prostitutes also targeted were arrested.
Assistant District Attorney Mark D. Brooks said during the course of undercover work, police came across the prostitutes and, “They don’t turn their back on crime.”
District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon praised the hard work of the county’s drug task force, which she announced Tuesday she was taking over from Attorney General Mike Fisher. Vernon reported that the drug sweep was being conducted during a 9 a.m. breakfast to make the announcement.