Jun 12, 2015 4 min read

State police and Washington County Drug Task Force detectives arrested five people Thursday and early Friday on drug and related charges stemming from four incidents in Washington County.

Jessica Dean, 33, and Christopher Amon, 37, both of 236 Richey St., Richeyville, were arraigned Thursday night by District Judge Curtis Thompson on a warrant obtained by the state police vice unit charging them with possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession of paraphernalia and conspiracy.

The vice unit obtained a sealed search warrant for Dean’s former home on Old West Road in Bentleyville from Judge Michael Lucas and served it with the county task force on June 5, 2014. When they entered the home, they said they found Amon in the living room, Dean in the kitchen and a third man near a second-floor bedroom.

Investigators said they found eight bricks containing 400 stamp bags of suspected heroin inside a wicker basket in the master bedroom along with a plastic bag containing syringes. Two stamp bags also were found in the kitchen, police said.

Police have obtained a warrant for the third person who was inside the residence when the search warrant was served after reportedly finding Suboxone strips in his wallet. Dean and Amon were placed in Washington County jail on $35,000 bonds. A preliminary hearing is set for June 22 before Thompson.

Dontae Patterson, 40, of 209 Donnan Ave., Washington, was arrested about 1 a.m. Friday after he allegedly was found with a half-pound of suspected crack and at least $10,000 during a traffic stop by state police. Police said he failed to stop for a red light at North Main Street and Hallam Avenue and then went through a stop sign on Shirls Avenue before he was stopped near Donnan and Montgomery Avenue.

Patterson reportedly got out of his vehicle and told a trooper that he had the drugs in his vehicle. Police said they also found a large sum of money, including 20s, 50s and 100s, in his pants pockets. They said the crack was in six packages, and there was at least $10,000 in three bags. Police said Patterson also had three boxes of glassine bags in his vehicle.

Patterson was arraigned before Thompson on charges of possession with intent to deliver crack, possession of paraphernalia and traffic violations. He was placed in jail on $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for June 25 before District Judge Robert Redlinger.

Sean Itillio Pondexter, 40, whose last known address was Arnold, Westmoreland County, was arraigned Thursday before District Judge David Mark on a warrant obtained Wednesday by the county drug task force on charges of possession of heroin, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and driving with a suspended license.

In September, task force detectives said they met with a confidential informant about purchasing heroin from Pondexter. The informant allegedly made a recorded call to Pondexter and placed an order for an agreed-upon price. Arrangements were made to meet with Pondexter in a parking lot of a Canton Township business, police said.

Pondexter was placed in jail on $25,000 bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 24 before Mark.

Andrea Jade Tsupros, 21, of 7 Ross Road, North Strabane Township, was arrested about 12:15 a.m. Friday following a traffic stop by state police on Route 19 (Washington Road) near Meadowbrook Drive in North Strabane.

A trooper driving south on Route 19 reportedly spotted a southbound vehicle, driven by Tsupros, cross the white line along the side of the road several times and stopped her. Police said she gave them another woman’s name, and they found a loaded .32-caliber handgun in the car along with heroin and paraphernalia. Tsupros was arraigned before Thompson on charges including possession of heroin and paraphernalia, possessing a firearm without a license, false identification to police and traffic and equipment violations. Tsupros was released from jail after posting $6,000 of a $60,000 percentage bond. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 26 before District Judge Jay Weller.