Pittsburgh resident charged in drug sting
A Pittsburgh man with more than seven bricks of heroin in his possession is in jail following a sting operation conducted by the Fayette County Drug Task Force. Daniel T. Dawes Jr., 24, of 2134 S. Eighteenth St. faces multiple felony charges as a result of the undercover buy, which occurred Sunday evening in the parking lot of a hotel located on Route 51 in Perry Township.
Task force Detective Ryan Reese, who oversaw the operation, said seven bricks and four bundles of heroin were seized.
Seven bricks of heroin equal 350 stamp bags and four bundles equal 40 stamp bags, for a total of 390 stamp bags. Stamp bags are sold separately on the streets to drug users.
The heroin seized during Sunday’s operation had a street value of over $7,000, Reese said, adding that a stamp bag sells for about $20.
Task force Detective Thomas Patton, the investigating officer in the case, said Dawes was set up to sell the heroin to two confidential informants for $3,200 in the hotel parking lot.
Patton said the confidential informants were given an amount of money and instructed to exit Dawes’ vehicle once the transaction began and they saw the heroin.
Dawes arrived at the hotel parking lot at 9:25 p.m. and parked next to the confidential informants’ vehicle, Patton said.
Patton said the transaction occurred and that task force members then moved in to apprehend Dawes.
A plastic bag containing seven bricks and four bundles of heroin was found within plain view on the center console in Dawes’ vehicle, Patton said.
Dawes was charged with multiple felony counts of possession and possession with intent to deliver.
He was arraigned Sunday night before on-call Magisterial District Judge Joseph M. George and placed in Fayette County Prison after failing to post a $50,000 straight cash bond.
The task force recently has conducted several large drug seizures.
In August, Reese oversaw an undercover operation where 1 pound of heroin, valued at $450,000 and equal to 22,400 stamp bags, was seized in Connellsville.
A West Virginia man was charged in the case.
The task force, under the direction of Fayette County District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr., is comprised of officers from several local police departments in Fayette County.
Supervised by Assistant District Attorney Mark Brooks, the county’s chief drug prosecutor, the task force is responsible for investigating drug violations throughout the county and following through with the prosecution of each violation.
Anyone wishing to report illegal drug activity can call the Fayette County Drug Task Force hotline number at 724-415-3100. All people giving tips will remain anonymous.