Two Allegheny County men and another from Washington County are among eight people indicted by a federal grand jury in Wheeling, W.Va., on charges of being involved in a crack cocaine conspiracy in northern West Virginia and surrounding areas, prosecutors said Thursday.
Authorities still were searching for a Pittsburgh man, Derek "Dee" Phillips, who has an apartment in Oakland. His age and other personal information were not released by prosecutors.
The other local men were identified as Phillip S. Wolanski, 31, of Cain Road, Findlay Township, and Robert "Mo" Markish, 29, of Joffre Cherry Valley Road near Burgettstown. Wolanski, Markish and the others named in the indictment have all been arrested, prosecutors said.
Also indicted were two Weirton residents, Arthur Lastoria, 54, and Jemar L. Yetts, 27, as well as three others whose addresses were not released: William W. "Funk" Kinkela, Bernice Pearson and Marlon Pearson.
Bearnice Pearson is 44, but the ages of the other two and other personal information were not released.
Kinkela and Markish are accused of distributing crack cocaine in West Virginia and elsewhere between 1994 and this month, prosecutors said.
Lastoria and Phillips are accused of distributing crack cocaine from 1998 until this month, while Wolanski is accused of distributing crack cocaine since 1996, prosecutors said.
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police, as well as officers from McDonald, Burgettstown and Hanover and Smith townships in Washington County helped federal, state and local authorities in the investigation, U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Johnston said.
