Multiple arrests on drug charges
A Heidelberg couple arrested early Saturday during a traffic stop by North Strabane Township police were among eight people arraigned over the weekend on drug charges filed by law enforcement agencies in Washington County with three more also facing charges.
Brandon C. Green, 31, and Brianne Leigh Dean, 27, both of 531 Lincoln St., were passengers in a vehicle stopped by Officer Matthew Mancini after he noticed the vehicle had expired registration as it traveled along Route 19 south near Weavertown Road. The driver did not immediately stop, but pulled into the lot of a convenience store. Green was sitting in the front passenger seat, while Dean was seated behind the driver.
Mancini noticed the same vehicle moments earlier parked in a driveway of a residence on DiCio Street known by the department for drug-related incidents and repeated complaints from residents in the area about illegal drug activity.
The driver told police he was aware the registration expired. He told Mancini he dropped off several people he did not know at the residence on DiCio. He also told police he did not know the name of the two people in his car at the time of the stop, other than the man was known as “Reese.”
Police said Green had no identification and gave officers a false name and birthdate. He also claimed not to know his Social Security number, police said. Green was asked to step out of the car and was patted down. During the pat-down, Mancini said he detected two objects in Green’s crotch that the man claimed was marijuana. As Green was escorted to the police car, officers said a bag containing three small knotted plastic bag corners fell out of his pants. Two of the bags contained suspected crack, and the other bag appeared to contain cocaine, police said. A small knotted bag of suspected marijuana was found in his underwear, according to police.
Police said Dean was known by another officer at the scene to have hidden narcotics inside her pants in the past. She also was asked to get out of the car and questioned about whether she was hiding anything. Dean allegedly admitted to hiding heroin in her pants. She was taken to the police station and searched by a female officer who reported finding a blue shopping bag containing four and a half bricks of suspected heroin stamped with different markings. Police said Dean claimed the 234 stamp bags were given to her by her boyfriend, identified as Green, who allegedly told her to hide the drugs as they were getting pulled over by police.
Green was arraigned before District Judge David Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver crack and cocaine, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, false identification to police and conspiracy. He was placed in Washington County jail on $50,000 bond. Police said Green also was wanted by Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant for failure to appear. Dean was arraigned before Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin and conspiracy. She was placed in jail on $25,000 bond. The two are scheduled for preliminary hearings Feb. 23 before District Judge Jay Weller.
McDonald police arrested Erica Lynn Andrews, 34, of 1117 Main St., along with Chase Pelissero, 25, of Donora, early Saturday after police, along with assistance from the Cecil Township K9 unit, served a warrant at Andrews’ home. Police seized cocaine, crack, marijuana, paraphernalia and $1,365.
Officer Bradley Resnik said her arrest was the result of a yearlong investigation in Andrews’ involvement in drug trafficking in and around the Burgettstown area. Resnik said police received a large number of complaints about frequent drug activiity involving Andrews.
Andrews was arraigned before Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver crack and cocaine and possession of paraphernalia. She was placed in jail on $25,000 bond. Pelissero was placed in jail on a parole violation and will be arraigned on the charges at a later date. Two other people also face charges.
Three men were arrested Sunday by Washington police during a traffic stop in the 1300 block of Tube Alley after police received a complaint of possible drug activity in the area. Police said they arrested Jamaal Green, 19, of 133 Jollick Manor, Washington, Russell T. Porter Jr., 20, of 121 Poplar St., Washington, and Travon Smart, 19, of Pittsburgh, after finding two stamp bags of suspected heroin and a small amount of marijuana. All three were arraigned before Mark on drug charges and underage drinking charges and placed in jail on $25,000 bonds.
The Washington County Drug Task Force arrested two men, one on a warrant obtained last week and the other after he allegedly sold heroin to a confidential informant in Cecil Township Friday.
Kyle T. Brookins, 26, of Crafton, was arrested during a traffic stop after allegedly delivering three bundles to an informant in a lot off Route 50. He was arraigned before Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin and driving with a suspended license and put in jail on $25,000 bond.
Joshua Troup, 31, of 105 Southview Road, McMurray, was arrested on warrants after he allegedly sold heroin to informants in September and October 2014 in Peters Township. He also was arraigned before Mark on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin and placed in jail on $50,000 bond.