2 dozen drug suspects arrested
The Fayette County Drug Task Force rounded up more than two dozen area residents Wednesday in a felony drug warrant sweep. The sweep – conducted by members of the task force, the state police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department – began shortly after 6 a.m. as teams of officers scoured the county for 46 suspects, all wanted on felony drug charges.
By Wednesday afternoon, police had taken 28 suspects into custody.
District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon said the sweep was unique because all of the suspects were charged with either delivery of drugs or possession with intent to deliver drugs, making the cases more serious.
“There are no warrants included in this sweep for just possession,” Vernon said. “These are all felony cases.”
Police allege that the 46 suspects either sold or intended to sell a multitude of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy, Oxycontin and other pills.
Drug task force Lt. Ronald Haggerty Jr. said that officers did recover some small amounts of drugs during the arrests and that additional charges for possession will be filed.
The sweep was operated at the Uniontown Police Department on Penn Street where suspects were brought by police following their arraignments at district judges’ offices across the county to be fingerprinted and processed.
One of those caught in the warrant sweep was David Ray Hickle, 39, of German Township, who was already in prison on charges of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, and unlawful possession of a firearm following an incident at his home earlier this month.
Police allege that Hickle of 324 Denny Road fired multiple rounds from a gun during an argument with his wife and that he then resisted arrest when police arrived at his home.
He was charged Wednesday with possession with intent to deliver heroin and remains in the Fayette County Prison on $75,000 straight cash bond.
The bulk of those arrested Wednesday are from the Connellsville area.
Connellsville residents arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Ronald J. Haggerty Sr. were: Barry Wayne Brooks, 23, for delivery of marijuana; Randy J. Cartwright, 22, for delivery of crack cocaine; William Fitzgerald, 26, for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine; Anthony Kyle Keffer, 47, for delivery of Oxycontin (a pain medication); Destiny Rae Molter, 20, for delivery of crack cocaine; Robert Lee Pirl, 31, for delivery of cocaine; Robert J. Prinkey, 76, for delivery of Percocet (a pain medication); Amanda Rae Shipley, 31, of delivery of Oxycodone (a pain medication); Israel Matthew Shroyer, 31, for possession with intent to deliver marijuana; Scott Marshall Sines, 31, for delivery of heroin and James Edward Taylor, 26, of delivery of marijuana.
Others charged before Haggerty include Sherry Kay Teets, 40, of Vanderbilt for delivery of Percocet; Rod Wood, 33, of Pittsburgh for delivery of crack cocaine and Ashley R. Zeiler, 27, of Melcroft for delivery of Oxycontin.
Haggerty placed nearly all those charged before him in the Fayette County Prison on $25,000 straight cash bond.
Charged on Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Randy S. Abraham were Jerry Dewayne Davis, 50, of New Geneva for possession with intent to deliver heroin; Victoria Mozie, 39, of McClellandtown for possession with intent to deliver cocaine; Terrance Anthony Poteat, 45, of Masontown for delivery of cocaine and Lorrenzo Jehral Thomas, 26, of McClellandtown for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine.
The suspects arraigned before Abraham were placed in the Fayette County Prison on bonds ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.
During his portion of the warrant service, Magisterial District Judge Dwight Shaner charged Dennis Lee Kendrick, 30 of Connellsville with delivery of Ecstasy; Korey Ray Liston, 30, of Dunbar for delivery of Oxycontin; Charles Allan Pritts, 39, of Dawson for delivery of marijuana, Sheena Marie Vince, 22, of Donora for delivery of Ecstasy and Jeffrey Allen Younkin, 39, of Connellsville for possession with intent to deliver Oxycontin.
Vince and Kendrick were released on unsecured bonds, while the other three suspects were placed in the Fayette County Prison on bonds ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.
Others arraigned Wednesday included Matthew J. Hutchison, 23, of Connellsville for delivery of marijuana; Robert Novakovich, 19, of Monessen for delivery of Oxycontin; Raymond Earl Peterson, 47, of Uniontown for delivery of cocaine and James Simon Thompson, 53, of Republic for possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Warrants remain for more than a dozen suspects including: Joshua Harold Albaugh, 22, of Donora for delivery of marijuana; Gary Lewis Bradley, 35, of Connellsville for delivery of heroin; Joseph Michael Cooley, 28, of Ohiopyle for delivery of heroin; Shaun Michael Davis, 22, of Fairbanks for delivery of crack cocaine; Craig Edward Golden, 30, of Dunbar for delivery of heroin; Elga Sue Henry, 39, of Connellsville for delivery of Opana (a pain medication); Alanda Jones, 35, of Uniontown for delivery of cocaine; Elmer Roy Layman, 22, of Champion for manufacturing marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms; Bruce Wayne Leonard, 28, of Connellsville for delivery of Oxycontin; Shaena Nicole Nicholson, 21, of Connellsville for delivery of heroin; Stephanie Jean Sisley, 18, of Washington County for delivery of marijuana; Randy D. Taylor, 25, of Uniontown for delivery of cocaine; Paul Richard Turek, 49, of Uniontown for possession with intent to deliver heroin; Dewayne Ebert Ulery, 49, of West Brownsville for delivery of Oxycontin; Christian Lee Wagner, 38, of Connellsville for delivery of Oxycontin and Steven Whipkey, 34, of Footedale for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the remaining suspects is asked to call the drug task force at 724-415-3100.