May 16, 2003 By Steve Ferris 3 min read

Fayette County Drug Task Force officers arrested 10 people Thursday, including a Brownsville man who officers said attempted to hide or discard a bag containing more than three pounds of suspected cocaine. “The bag contained a kilo and half of cocaine, which is the largest amount seized in 10 years in Fayette County,” Fayette County District Attorney Nancy Vernon said at press conference in the Uniontown police station following the arrest. “It’s one the largest amounts in county history with an estimated street value of $140,000.”

Task Force members, which included police officers from Uniontown, Brownsville, Connellsville, South Connellsville, Fairchance, and Dunbar as well as County Detective Lawrence Curry, had arrest warrants based on controlled drug buys made over the last three months for 19 people, Curry said.

Nine people were arrested on warrants.

Erving L. Smith, 26, of 72 South Hills Terrace, Brownsville, was seen walking toward a dumpster in the parking lot of the housing complex carrying a black leather bag while officers were looking for other suspects, according to an affidavit filed by Uniontown Officer H. Dennis Field.

Field and Brownsville Officer Krissy Givens began to follow him, watching as he walked between the dumpster and a fence. He came out from behind the dumpster without the bag and encountered a state constable, according to the affidavit.

They detained Smith and then found the bag under the dumpster. It contained two plastic baggies and two freezer bags containing the suspected cocaine, and a digital scale, Field said.

Vernon said field tests conducted on the contents revealed it was cocaine, but it will be sent to the state police crime lab for official testing.

If the 1,394 grams in the bags were sold at the street price of $100 per gram, the profit would be $139,400, Vernon said.

Smith was arraigned on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia by District Justice Herb Mitchell Jr. and was committed to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of a $1 million percentage bond.

In a related effort on Saturday, officers attempted to serve Donald Eugene Hannon, 30, of 43 Mifflin Ave., Uniontown, with a warrant. They didn’t find him, but they confiscated nine pounds of marijuana and a handgun from his residence, Uniontown Det. Phillip Jones said.

Those arrested Thursday were Roseanne Osburn of Fairbanks, Richard Alan Bass of Cardale, Ralph Cornish of Uniontown, James Isler of Uniontown, Nicole Norman of Uniontown, Jermy Hill of Connellsville, Scott Brozek of Connellsville, Clara Golden of Connellsville and Robert Tissue of Connellsville, Curry said.

Warrant remain pending for Joanne Jenkins of Fairbanks, David Borden of Republic, Christina Townsend of Uniontown, Justin Fletcher of Uniontown, Gregory R. Dennis of Uniontown, Richard D. Simmons of Brownsville, Angelo Ciniello of Pittsburgh, Donald Betters of McKeesport, Michael D. and Angela M. Gulasky of Port Vue, Curry said.