May 3, 2007 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

Acting on multiple tips, the Fayette County Drug Task Force netted drugs, cash and guns when it raided two homes on Lenox Street in Uniontown Wednesday morning. Uniontown police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said the task force and Uniontown police conducted an investigation after officers received several tips from area residents about drug activity on Lenox Street.

Under the direction of Kyle W. Sneddon, who heads the task force on the southern end of Fayette County, officers obtained two sealed search warrants from Fayette County President Judge Conrad Capuzzi to investigate the homes. Gmitter said the warrants were sealed because of other investigations ongoing in the county.

Two teams of task force members raided the homes simultaneously at 6:07 a.m., Gmitter said.

After knocking on the doors, police broke into the homes, where they uncovered marijuana, cash, drug paraphernalia and guns, Gmitter said.

In the house at 49 Lenox St., police – along with the assistance of Officer Michael Garrow and police dog Sheiko – found three grams of marijuana, more than $1,000 in cash, a digital scale, a .22-caliber rifle and other suspected drugs.

Gmitter said that police also seized three glass vials with suspected liquid PCP.

He said that a resident at the house, Cheri Dawn Sokol, 24, was charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on $25,000 unsecured bond, Gmitter said.

At the second house, located at 72 Lenox St., Gmitter said officers found 32 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, cash and a .22-caliber magnum revolver. He said charges are pending against several suspects in that raid.

The raids Wednesday came just two days after state police discovered a kilogram of cocaine in a car in Uniontown as well as more than 15 grams of marijuana in another vehicle during routine traffic stops.

Those busts came on the heels of several other drug raids by the task force across the city, including the discovery of a kilogram of cocaine, several grams of marijuana, $550 in cash, a loaded gun, multiple locked safes and several other prohibited offensive weapons in a home at 24 Millview St. in Uniontown April 8.

On April 3, Gmitter said task force members uncovered three marijuana plants, 47 marijuana seeds, four plastic bags of crack and a .32-caliber automatic weapon in a home outfitted with door barricades at 116 Shaffer St. in Uniontown.

Gmitter also said that several members of the Uniontown Fire Department, including Chief Myron Nypaver, Assistant Chief Chuck Coldren and Lt. Mark Lovey, assisted in the raids to inspect the homes for code violations.

Violations were discovered and citations are being prepared, Nypaver said.

According to officials, Rusty Mechling of Uniontown owns three of the homes the task force has raided in the last month, including the homes located at 49 Lenox St., 24 Millview St. and 116 Shaffer St.

Gmitter said anyone with information regarding drug activity can call the Fayette County Drug Task Force at 724-425-1768 or Uniontown police at 724-430-2929.