Apr 10, 2013 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – A drug dealing suspect met with an undercover officer at the county public defender’s office after the officer was told by a middle man “this is the safest place to do these deals,” city police said in a criminal complaint.

That information was contained in a complaint charging Matthew Stewart, 21, of McKees Rocks, with selling five generic prescription anti-anxiety pills to the undercover officer for $20 in January. It was first reported Wednesday by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which was following up the arrest of Stewart and others Friday in a crackdown on open air drug dealing in high-traffic areas downtown.

County Public Defender Elliot Howsie didn’t immediately return a call for comment from the Associated Press. Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Maurita Bryant told the newspaper she could not comment on the case until Friday for fear of jeopardizing an ongoing investigation.

City police spokeswoman Diane Richard told the AP city police plan a news conference for 10 a.m. Friday on an unspecified investigation that she said relates to Stewart.

Online court records don’t list an attorney for Stewart, who remained jailed on charges he sold the drugs after another McKees Rocks man, Jason Rutherford, 35, allegedly took the undercover officer to the public defender’s office to complete the deal Jan. 25. Rutherford, who also is jailed and doesn’t have an attorney listed in court records, faces a preliminary hearing today while Stewart is due in court April 19.

The charges against both men developed after two undercover officers went to a downtown fast-food restaurant believed to be a hub of drug activity and began talking loudly about wanting to buy pills. After one officer left, Rutherford allegedly approached the second officer and walked him over to the County Office Building blocks away.

When the officer asked why they were going there, Rutherford said, “This is the safest place to do these deals … nobody would ever suspect anything,” according to the criminal complaint.

Rutherford took the officer to the public defender’s office on the fourth floor and Rutherford met with Stewart, whom the officer recognized as having sold him pills in a separate transaction a short time before. That’s when Rutherford took $20 from the officer, gave it to Stewart, who then gave Rutherford five Alprazolam pills for the officer, the complaint said.

County Manager William McKain said he was not aware of any drug sales in the county building, noting there are security guards and surveillance cameras present.