Drug raids target street dealers
A former Ross police officer, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to operating a meth lab in his Shadyside apartment, was among dozens of street-level drug dealers arrested Wednesday in raids by state and local drug agents in Allegheny, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties, police said.
The former policeman, Michael Baird, 37, of 88 Glenview Ave., Greensburg, was jailed on charges of possession with intent to deliver OxyContin and one count of possession of OxyContin, according to the Attorney General's office. He is being held in the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond after his arraignment before Unity District Judge Michael Mahady.
Baird had served a four-month prison sentence on the federal charge of operating a methamphetamine lab after petitioning to have his sentence reduced in March 2006. He served another six months on home confinement, plus one year federal probation, which he successfully completed, according to U.S. District Court records.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said that state agents and officers with the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force arrested 21 of the 37 suspected drug dealers by noon yesterday. He held a news conference at the agency's office in North Huntingdon.
He said arrests were made in Arnold, Belle Vernon, Derry, Jeannette, Ligonier, Monessen, New Kensington and Vandergrift; Natrona, Pittsburgh and McKeesport in Allegheny County; and Kittanning in Armstrong County. Six juveniles were also charged.
Corbett said the arrests were based on 88 controlled buys in which undercover agents bought cocaine, heroin, methadone, marijuana and prescription narcotics from dealers during the past several months.
"There's no clear origin of these drugs. These individuals are all street-level dealers ... the bottom of the system," Corbett said.
Corbett said investigators are hoping the arrests will lead to the arrests of upper-level suppliers. However, Corbett admitted that the drug suppliers will probably replace those arrested yesterday in short order.
"It creates a void, and someone will now move in to fill these voids," Corbettt said.
"Today's arrests are part of an ongoing effort to target local, street-level drug dealers and drug suppliers who bring heroin, cocaine and marijuana to the streets of Western Pennsylvania," Corbett said.
Ligonier Borough police Chief John Berger, a member of the county drug task force, said the sweeps are important to the individual communities. Among those arrested was an alleged Ligonier dealer, Michael Smith, 20, of 319 Bunger St., Apt. 1. He is accused of selling marijuana and cocaine to informants at various locations, including Main Street, between January and March.
Berger said the arrests indicate that no areas are immune to the ongoing drug abuse problem and the demand is constant in every community.
"But it also sends a message that we will not tolerate these sales in our communities, and we'll never stop enforcing the laws," Berger said.
Baird was charged by Latrobe undercover officer John Sleasman as a result of an Oct. 24 sale to an undercover informant at a service station near the intersection of routes 30 and 982, according to paperwork filed before Mahady. Sleasman said the informant purchased two OxyContin pills from Baird for $100, plus paid him another $200 for previous purchases.
Among those arrested yesterday on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver controlled substances were:
• Omar King, 34, of 801 Railroad St., Apt. 4; Richard Gregory, 25, of 410 Vine St.; Frank Kozinko, 23, of 17 Magee Ave.; Jeffrey Galdo, 40, of 312 1/2 N. First St.; Nicole Gogolsky, 28, 632 S. Sixth St.; Michael Hayden, 22, of 108 11th St.; all of Jeannette
• James Guy, 51, of 206 Rankin St., Arnold; Gary Schumaker, 55, of 122 1/2 Hamilton Ave., and James Wilkerson, 45, of 1168 Booker Ave., both of Vandergrift; Vernon Majors, 31, of 420 Chestnut St., and Joshua Gazdik, 30, of 225 Shawnee Ave., both of Monessen; Lori Bungard, 38, of 105 N. Hickory St., Scottdale; Anthony Desport, 19, of 420 Westmoreland Ave., Bradenville; Nicholas Levrio, 25, 111 E. Grant St., Latrobe; Brenda Stein, 23, of 47 Somers St., Pricedale; Brenda Fitzwater, 25, of 127 Elks Place, Belle Vernon
• William Rose, 59, of 2639 Perrysville Ave., Pittsburgh; Michelle Burton, 40, of 41 Pine St., Natrona
• Amy Cravener, 36, of Kittanning
Corbett said many of the others charged have made arrangements to turn themselves in, and the six juveniles will be adjudicated in juvenile court.
