To report drug traffickers abusing the mail, or to report other crimes involving postal employees, contact USPS OIG special agents at www.uspsoig.gov or 888-USPS-OIG.". Following a tip, police stopped a vehicle on Route 22 on April 8, and during a search of the vehicle, they found 50 bricks of heroin and fentanyl. Jamaal Maragh (a/k/a Alrick Williams a/k/a Frederick Vanlierop), 38, of Turtle Creek, PA; Noel Perez Aguilar (a/k/a Venado), 48, of Los Angeles, CA; Juan Carlos Alejandres, 26, of Los Angeles, CA; Ramon S. Araiza-Vega, 27, of Rio Rico, AZ; Jose D. Delosrios Benitez (a/k/a McQueen), 30, of Inglewood, CA; Johnny Bravo, Jr., 32, of Los Angeles, CA; Antonio Egurrola-Gamboa (a/k/a Chango), 32, of Tucson, AZ; Roberto Egurrola-Vasquez (a/k/a Gordito), 32, of Tucson, AZ; Howard E. Johnson III, 30, of Pittsburgh, PA; Alexis A. Perez Lopez, 44, of Los Angeles, CA; Clayton F. Manning, 43, of Los Angeles, CA; Rachel M. Novalesi, 37, of Rochester, PA; Justo Edgardo Parra Jr., 28, of Nogales, AZ; Odean Samuels (a/k/a Martin ONeil, a/k/a Smokey), 32, of Canoga Park, CA; Manuel Silvestre, 49, of Los Angeles, CA; Steven L. Trent Jr., 50, of Penn Hills, PA; Darrick Watkins, 50, of Los Angeles, CA; and. The operation involved around 80 investigators from nine . These drugs then ended up on the streets of Pittsburgh. Deabure Lightfoot, 29, Monday in federal court pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady. Police arrested. "The Indiana County Drug Task Force was able to take one tip from a community member and turn it into a very sizable drug bust in a matter of days," said District Attorney Bob Manzi. It is organized by the Fayette County District Attorney's Office. Philadelphia police called in the state police for help and, after multiple street-level arrests, the investigation was expanded into New Jersey. These guys are of great interest to the federal government, Zappala said. williams legato iii headphone jack size 1; pergo heritage hickory 1; The arrests include Lawrence Pirollo of Philadelphia and John Gatto of Somerdale, N.J., identified by federal investigators as top managers of the ring. ", "Today the DEA District Office in Pittsburgh, the United States Postal Services Office of Inspector General, and our other law enforcement counterparts dismantled an international cocaine drug trafficking organization that operated in Los Angeles, Tucson, and Mexico," said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. Taken into custody in North Braddock Monday were Jermaine Clark and Terry Suggs Jr. Clark is believed to be the head of the drug trafficking organization, according to the Allegheny County District Attorneys Office. U.S. Attorney Scott Brady says the drug pipeline started with Mexican cartels, which sent large quantities of cocaine into the U.S. through California and Arizona. "We work every day to stop those who bring dangerous drugs and guns into our neighborhoods. Vernon said she couldn't anticipate when the remaining individuals would be apprehended. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration if you need help for drug addiction at 1-800-662-4357, Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center refused to cooperate with audit, says PA Auditor General. |, Guard alligator El Chompo protected drugs for Pennsylvania dealers, prosecutors say. U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania, 27 Members of International Cocaine Conspiracy That Trafficked Hundreds, Acting United States Attorney Rivetti Announces Implementation of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, Contract Employee Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Vehicles from Pittsburgh Airports Hertz Car Rental and Transport Them to Nearby States, Duquesne Man Pleads Guilty to Escaping from Reentry Center. All Rights Reserved. SHARE. A few were considered "upper level" drug dealers for Fayette County. This investigation and prosecution relied on critical partnerships and resources, made available by the Office of National Drug Control Policys designation of Allegheny County as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) on September 24, 2018. A 26th person, Keith Redman, was also charged with one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition. Following is a list of Fayette County residents who were issued warrants: Shelby Feniello, Caleb Langgle, James Cunningham, Mark Tressler, Francis Straughters, Gary Lewellen, Bart Yagla, Fred "Tony" Simon, Scott Lazar, Dale Gould, Jane Gould, Joseph Sherwood, Melissa Hall, Duane Brown, Andreas Key, Stanford Russell, Antwaun Bush, Dontay Stokes, Keith Thomas, Tyrone Brown, Dennis Stewart, Jamie Carraway, Michael Speddon, Thomas Teets, Joshua Snyder, Tabitha Steindl, Jeremy Showman. ", First published on April 14, 2021 / 3:14 AM. Taylor has been charged with 10 felonies and five misdemeanors in connection with this investigation, court records show. Police seized 23 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $10 million while executing arrest warrants against two Philadelphia men in North Braddock on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. And you will go to jail, he said. We are dedicated to working collaboratively to ensure the safety of communities across Pennsylvania. Brady said 30% of all shots fired calls in the City of Pittsburgh come from Zone 5. They were for street- to mid-level drug dealers, he added. The brothers' father, Jamie Lightfoot Sr., participated in the ring from federal prison, Brady said. Protect Your Home from Ticks with Yard Guard from Viking Pest, PA To Consider Adopting Significant Police Protection Measures, What Kind Of Home Can $1.9 Million Buy In Pittsburgh? The gang operated from the East Hills, Homewood and Wilkinsburg all the way to Latrobe. $500 million Pacific Ocean drug bust 105 ton marijuana drug bust 12 ton Coast Guard drug bust 13.8 . Dozens of people were arrested and more than 9,000 packets of drugs were seized in a major heroin sweep in Hazelton, Pa. . Italian police claim world's largest drug bust after US$1.1 billion of amphetamines seized Jack Guy, Stephanie Halasz, Valentina DiDonato and Gul Tuysuz CNN Digital Contact Published. Officials, in one day, issued approximately 70 arrest warrants. A federal grand jury has indicted 39 people in a cross-country cocaine ring that flooded Pittsburgh and the Mon Valley with drugs, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said Wednesday. She has produced a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. Drug and alcohol addiction is a nationwide epidemic, please reach out if you or a loved one is suffering. We can help! Secure .gov websites use HTTPS By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Statistics and Facts About Binge Eating Disorder, Almond Mom Yolanda Hadid Fuels Diet Culture. Suggs is an alleged co-conspirator. April 14, 2021 / 3:14 AM Five labs where speed was made were shut down during the course of the probe. Eight pounds of speed was seized from the Montgomery lab, Fountain said. Federal law prohibits a convicted felon from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Zappala said investigators learned from the FBI that Clark and Suggs Jr. have lengthy criminal records related to drug charges and have been linked to major drug trafficking operations originating in countries such as Colombia and Mexico. You can now customize your WPXI News App to receive Allegheny County news alerts. He'd been indicted on federal drug charges years earlier. ", "We wont back down, communities need law enforcement to work together as weve done in Operation Tripwire," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. The DEA is thankful for its partnerships across Western Pennsylvania. By 6abc. Corporate Headquarters: "This case is another example of how essential law enforcement collaboration is in combatting drug trafficking. Fax:814-533-4545. Three of the labs were in Philadelphia and one was in Union County. The indictments were the result of a three-year investigation involving state and local police from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? "There are no boundaries in law enforcement in Fayette County today," said county District Attorney Nancy Vernon. "I asked for an arrest sweep to show the citizenry that law enforcement is active and involved with drug enforcement," said Vernon, adding the year-long investigation involved undercover work, undercover purchases, officers entering in dangerous places and conducting highly dangerous searches. JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A drug organization accused of funneling fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs into Johnstown from both coasts has been dismantled, resulting in charges against 31 people,. The arrests send a message to drug dealers in Pennsylvania, said Gov. Special agents with the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, using advanced analytical tools, are always on the look-out for those who seek to abuse the mail system by sending drug parcels in the mail," said USPS OIG Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the Eastern Area Field Office. The Monroeville, Penn Hills, Elizabeth Township, Munhall, and Wilkinsburg police departments worked alongside the Office of Attorney General over the course of this investigation. Hanging out in the kitchen, a three-foot alligator nicknamed El Chompo by police was caught red handed. He noted that many drug users are now overdosing on deadly combinations of cocaine and fentanyl. The drug bust was a result of a year-long investigation conducted by the State Police Troop B Vice Unit, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office and the Fayette County Drug Task Force. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jermaine Clark and Terry Suggs Jr. were booked into Allegheny County Jail on drug and conspiracy charges. (Cox Media Group/Cox Media Group). It stretched from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles and included connections to Mexican cartels. Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. During the investigation, a total of 56 pounds of speed with a street value of $1.27 million was confiscated, along with $167,000 in cash and a pound of cocaine. Investigators say they believe that, since at least 2017, the drug ring involving Clark and Suggs Jr. has brought hundreds of kilograms of cocaine worth tens of millions of dollars from the city of Philadelphia into Western Pennsylvania neighborhoods. Big prostitution bust at Pa. hotel nets 17 arrests Pictured are some of the suspects arrested after a major prostitution and drug sting at Monroe County hotel. Almost two tonnes of methamphetamine has been seized by Australian police - the biggest bust of the drug in the country's history. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. Pompano Beach, FL 33062. A lock ( A search of the two mens vehicles turned up 23 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the hydraulic traps. Please enter valid email address to continue. According to authorities, the wiretaps, done in 1989, showed that the speed was delivered to Pirollo and Gatto, who took it to New Jersey to be cut and packaged. Investigators say the operation is one of the largest ever undertaken in western Pennsylvania. Police said some individuals are still being sought and an updated list will follow. The incident occurred on July 11, 1990. Fayette County law enforcement officials said Tuesday that they had conducted "the largest drug bust in the county's history.". Guard drug bust in the County 's history of great interest to federal! 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