Former Fayette drug kingpin faces road rage charges
A Fayette County man who spent 30 years in state and federal prison for murder and running a large-scale drug operation is back in court on new charges.
Ronald Whethers, 66, of Masontown, was arraigned in Fayette County Magisterial Court Monday after an alleged road rage incident in which he is accused of pointing a handgun at another driver and repeatedly trying to ram her car.
In an interview with police, Justina Russman, whose address was not provided on the complaint, said Whethers pulled up next to her vehicle Friday afternoon as she was driving on Wilson Avenue in Uniontown and began screaming at her.
Charging documents said Whethers followed her as she turned onto Main Street and attempted to slam into her vehicle approximately three times.
When they were both stopped at the Bailey Avenue intersection in opposite lanes, Whethers began to pull a pistol from the small of his back, according to the complaint.
Russman, who was driving with two of her children and a grandchild, fled the area and went to the police station, the complaint stated.
Whethers was released from state prison in March 2023, more than 30 years after he was charged with ordering a fatal assault on William Lucas of Monessen, who he had mistakenly suspected of stealing drugs from him, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. He was later sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison for third-degree murder, conspiracy and drug charges, according to the Tribune-Review report.
He also received a life sentence on federal drug trafficking and conspiracy charges in 1996 before his sentence was reduced twice — most recently in 2022, when he received 10 years supervised release.
Whethers is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Judge Jason Cox denied bail on the grounds that Whethers poses a threat to himself and others.
Whethers’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9.