Drug sweep
The Fayette County Drug Task Force conducted a warrant sweep Thursday following months of undercover drug investigations.
Officials refused to state the number of arrest warrants served.
"I can say it's a lot. It's been a good day," said Mark Brooks, assistant district attorney and the chief drug prosecutor for the county.
"We still have people out in the field, and we're not done yet. So, for officer safety and to try not to jeopardize the investigation, I can't say anything yet," Brooks said.
Fayette County Prison officials said yesterday that 16 prisoners had been received and more were expected.
To accommodate the number of people arrested, a temporary booking area was set up at the Uniontown Fire Department station.
Scanner calls of arrests around Uniontown and Connellsville could be heard through the morning as the arrests took place.
A full accounting of those arrested is expected today.
Theft charges
A Fayette County man's alleged bartering for crack cocaine has landed him in jail on auto theft charges.
According to Connellsville police, James Carlo Firestone, 24, of West Leisenring, traded a 1991 Honda Civic to a drug dealer in Uniontown last weekend for several rocks of cocaine. Firestone stole the car from a woman with whom he once shared a Connellsville apartment, according to Chief Stephen Cooper.
Firestone admitted taking the car without the woman's permission and “renting” it to a man in Uniontown for the drugs, Cooper said. Firestone told police he was unable to further identify his rental client, the chief said.
The man apparently never returned with the car.
Uniontown police found the car parked undamaged at the city's Pershing Court housing community on Monday, Cooper said. It was returned to its owner. The car is valued at $750, according to the criminal complaint filed with Connellsville District Justice Ronald Haggerty. The several rocks of crack had a street value of about $100, Cooper said.Police charged Firestone with one count each of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
He was arraigned by District Justice Robert Breakiron, of Bullskin Township, and committed to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bond.
Firestone waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Haggerty and now faces the charges in county court.
Robbery
Authorities are asking for the public's assistance in catching a gunman who held up a Fayette County restaurant late Wednesday night. State police at Uniontown said a white male, possibly in his late teens or early 20s, brandished a black handgun in the Pizza Hut at Oliver Plaza in North Union Township around 10:30 p.m. After taking money out of the cash drawer, he fled on foot, police said. He may have headed east, a police report indicated.
The suspect was wearing black jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt and a black ski mask, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the state police at 724-439-7111.
