Stolen property, drug charges waived to court
A Monessen man caught up in a two-county investigation Friday waived his case to court.
Jamael Payne Sr., 36, of 419 Oneida St., faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm with altered manufacturer number, receiving stolen property, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of children.
Those charges stem from an investigation into the theft of guns from a home in New Eagle, some of which were sold at a Monongahela gun shop and others that were allegedly traded to Payne for drugs.
Cody Guenther, 30, of New Eagle, is charged with the thefts. The guns were taken from his stepfather’s home, according to police.
A search of Payne’s home uncovered one of the stolen weapons, a .357, which was loaded, and a .40 caliber handgun which was found in a dresser which also contained a number of drug related items.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the charged, the dresser contained a Crown Royal bag containing 258 stamp bags of heroin, an open case containing 3.1 grams of crack cocaine, a scale, a grinder, an empty corner baggie, a plastic bowl and $850 in cash. Payne claimed possession of all of the items.
Carroll Township, Monongahela and Monessen police cooperated in the investigation.
Payne is being held at the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bond.