Nearly 50 drug suspects taken into custody

The little girl's mournful sobbing started as soon as she was carried out of her Gilpin house.

"Daddy. Oh, daddy. Daddy!" she repeated, over and over, wrapped in a blanket in her mother's arms, as police led her parents away to face drug charges.

Her parents, Jason and Karissa Snyder, were the first of nearly 50 people arrested yesterday morning to face charges in the largest drug raid held in Armstrong County.

The arrests were made by officers from 20 county departments, state troopers, officers from Allegheny Township and Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, and a half-dozen state constables.

The Armstrong County drug task force, funded by an attorney general's grant, helped in the raid.

Police said 21 of the suspects lived in Leechburg.

Seven were from the same block along Main Street, and many of the others live close by.

"This will have a large impact on the drug trade in the borough," said Leechburg Mayor Chuck Pascal.

He said it takes time for citizen complaints to get to police and for them to make arrests that will stand up in court. "This will really disrupt sales," said Leechburg Police Chief Mike Diebold.

All of the suspects are scheduled to have preliminary hearings later this month in Leechburg.

The Snyders were arrested without incident at their house along Allshouse Drive in Gilpin, at about 5:30 a.m.

Their daughter was taken by Children and Youth Services workers.

Bystander bites officer

By 8 a.m., about 33 suspects already had been arrested, including a man not sought by police who allegedly bit a state trooper.

Police said Thomas Phillips Jr. of Leechburg was inside 223 Main St., Leechburg, when his father and girlfriend and others were arrested just after 6:30 a.m.

Phillips followed police and the suspects out of the house.

He started yelling at police and his girlfriend, Holly Farneth, 28, who was in the back seat of a police car under arrest.

After swearing and yelling, "You might as well arrest me, too," he allegedly elbowed a state trooper, then tried to get away.

At least six officers subdued the man.

"In the process, Phillips bit a trooper's hand," Chief Diebold said.

State Police Lt. Tom Dubovi said the trooper wasn't seriously injured.

Phillips was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and disorderly conduct.

District Judge Michael Gerheim ordered him held in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bond.

Leechburg chief praised

Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi and others praised Diebold for starting what became Monday's round-up.

Diebold said the investigations started about six months ago after tips from residents.

"Many of the drug sales were videotaped," Diebold said.

"This shows the level of cooperation we need," Dubovi said. "By coordinating the efforts of the state, county and local police agencies, we can more effectively work to end (illicit) drugs in our community."

State police from as far away as Uniontown participated.

Andreassi said police are using what they learned from this investigation to start others.

"There will be more in the near future," he said.

By 10 a.m., almost 50 suspects were wearing handcuffs or plastic straps.

One of the men charged with selling hydrocodone pills found himself facing an even larger bond because of what he allegedly said inside the holding area in the Leechburg Fire Hall.

Police said Scott Maldonado, of Leechburg, threatened a man he believed was an informant.

A trooper allegedly heard Maldonado say he would kill the man.

Gerheim increased his bond to $35,000 total, including $10,000 bond for terroristic threats.

Notable

Among other notables stemming from the investigation and roundup:

• Two stolen pistols had been sold to informants and turned over to police.

A .40-caliber Smith and Wesson pistol was allegedly sold by 25-year-old Michael Luffey, of 114 First St., Leechburg, police said.

A .44-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver was allegedly sold by a 17-year-old juvenile. The youth is in the Shuman Detention Center, Pittsburgh.

• Eight suspects were taken into custody in one short block of Main Street. They were in two houses within 30 yards of a church and a senior citizen high-rise building.

• Three of the Main Street suspects were a mother, father and their 28-year-old daughter.

• Police said Tricia Long, 21, of Gilpin slipped out of her handcuffs and tried to leave the Leechburg Fire Hall. Her bond was raised to $15,000.

• When Kenneth Rosenberger was formally charged, he grumbled that he gave another man Oxycodone pills so he could get a stove.

"And the damn thing doesn't even work," he said.

District Judge Michael Gerheim replied, "I'd sue him."

Kiski Valley drug suspects in custody

These suspects were taken into custody yesterday:

In the list below, charges can include possession, drug delivery, and conspiracy, sale of a prescription drug, but not all charges apply for all suspects. They collectively are accused of selling marijuana, cocaine, heroin, morphine and numerous pills, including Vicodin and OxyContin.

They were formally charged by District Judges Michael Gerheim and Sam Goldstrohm and face May 28 preliminary hearings.

Included are each suspect's name, age and address.

Leechburg, Main Street: Angela Poet Davidson, 35, Raina Smart, 34, and Ronald Leasure, 50, all of 227 Main St.; Holly Farneth, 28, Daphne Farneth, 47, and Timothy Farneth, 51, all of 216 Main; Thomas Phillips, 46, 223 Main.

Leechburg, all other streets: Richard Davidson, 54, 120 Second St. Apt. 5; Matthew Defilippi, 40, 142 Siberian Ave.; Tina Faulk, 41, 117 River Ave.; Christine George, 22, of 551 Market St.; Robert Kraft, 38, 259 Siberian Ave.; Michael Luffey, 25, 114 First St.; Theodore Magee, 28, 551 Market St.; Eric McGlothin, 42, 59 Kiski Ave.;

Scott Maldonado, 30, 350 Beale Ave.; Paul Neglich, 51, 265 Pershing Ave.; Joshua Rimmel, 28, 240 Diamond Ave.; Kenneth Ross, 52, 455 Market St.; Andrea Rua, 53, 111 Basin Ave.; Angela Sabo, 114 River Ave.; Joel Tucci, 32, of 549 Market St.; Laura Walters, 49, of 127 Veterans Ave.

Vandergrift: Viann M. Butler, 51, 171 Sherman Ave.; Roy Jackson, 51, 1194 Kepple Ave.; Amber Lookhart, 25, 145 Grant Ave.; Dallas Majocha, 30, of 145 Grant Ave.; Dawn McCutcheon, 48, 1636 Hancock Ave.

Gilpin: Blair Godlesky, 23, 279 Sober Road; Tricia Long, 21, and David Shelkey, 27, 460 Evergreen Road; Karissa Snyder, 27, and Jason Snyder, 32, 162 Allshouse Drive.

Allegheny Township: Keith Klingensmith, 33, 220 Weimer Road; Eileen Riston, 53; 311 Route 356; Jason Sluser, 34, Burns Lane; Michael Sisco, 33; 533 Finnin Road.

Kittanning: Robert McClure, 44, 245 Oak Ave.; Loriann Neal, 42, 395 Union Ave.

Freeport: Brenda Rusak, 30.

West Leechburg: Dawn Barclay, 42.

Kiski Township: Joseph Brown, 30, 1534 Ridge Ave.

North Apollo: Adam Stem, 25, 1820 Hickory Nut Road.

Ford City, RD 3: Kenneth Rosenberger, 47.

Brackenridge: Christine Winstead, 26; 1039 Nelson Ave.

Washington Township: Amanda Dougherty, 23, 209 Bowman Lane.

Juveniles: Two 17-year-olds, hometowns undisclosed.

Harrison drug sweep

The second drug sweep in the township in as many weeks by the county drug task force separately netted seven suspects in the Sheldon Park section of Natrona Heights.

Each is charged with possession, possession with intent to sell, and distribution. The number of counts of each is listed below. Also listed is the drug allegedly sold. Varying cash bonds were set by District Judge Carolyn Bengel.

Suspect name, age and last known address:

• Sherrod Duncan, 30; 282 Park Ave.; one count; heroin.

• Grace Ford, 49; 3C Park Ave.; two counts; crack cocaine.

• Corey Howard, 27; 223 Park Ave.; two counts; heroin.

• Thomas McClintock, 49; 18B Park Ave.; one count; crack cocaine.

• Ilah Verner, 25; 412 Park Ave,; two counts; crack cocaine.

• Unidentified juvenile, 16; Sheldon Park; one count; crack cocaine.

• Unidentified juvenile, 16; Sheldon Park; one count; heroin.