Lemont Furnace man jailed in drug sting
A Lemont Furnace man, who is a convicted sex offender and awaiting trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two young girls last year, is now behind bars in an unrelated offense.
Detective Norman L. Howard of the Fayette County Drug Task Force said Magisterial District Judge Mike Defino Jr. recently issued a warrant for the arrest of Joseph Michael Trifiro, 28, of 367 Main St. after Trifiro sold heroin to a confidential informant on two occasions in April.
Howard said Trifiro was charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin, two counts of possession of heroin and a single count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
State police Trooper Heather L. Clem said troopers took Trifiro into custody on the drug charges at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
Howard filed the charges after a confidential informant, working with the task force, made two undercover purchases of heroin from Trifiro at his residence.
Following his capture Tuesday, Trifiro was placed in Fayette County Prison on $200,000 straight cash bond.
Earlier this year, Trifiro was ordered to stand trial for allegedly sexually assaulting a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old while baby-sitting in Lemont Furnace in September. In that case Clem said Trifiro was charged before Magisterial District Judge Wendy D. Dennis with two counts each of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault.
Dennis held all charges against Trifiro for Fayette County Court following a preliminary hearing in March.
Clem said the charges were filed against Trifiro after he allegedly inappropriately touched two girls, and both girls told police that Trifiro had assaulted them.
HeraldStandard.com does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
Trifiro, who is a registered sex offender after being convicted in 2010 of gross sexual imposition in an out-of-state case, has denied the allegations.
He will face a preliminary hearing for the drug charges at a later date.