Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds – CNN

 

(CNN)The proportion of schizophrenia cases linked with problematic use of marijuana has increased over the past 25 years, according to a new study from Denmark.

In 1995, 2% of schizophrenia diagnoses in the country were associated with cannabis use disorder. In 2000, it increased to around 4%. Since 2010, that figure increased to 8%, the study found.
“I think it is highly important to use both our study and other studies to highlight and emphasize that cannabis use is not harmless,” said Carsten Hjorthøj, an associate professor at the Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health and an author of the study published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry, via email.
“There is, unfortunately, evidence to suggest that cannabis is increasingly seen as a somewhat harmless substance. This is unfortunate, since we see links with schizophrenia, poorer cognitive function, substance use disorders, etc,” Hjorthøj wrote.

Previous research has suggested that the risk of schizophrenia is heightened for people who use cannabis, and the association is particularly driven by heavy use of the drug. Many researchers hypothesize that cannabis use may be a “component cause,” which interacts with other risk factors, to cause the condition.”

Of course, our findings will have to be replicated elsewhere before firm conclusions can be drawn,” Hjorthøj continued. “But I do feel fairly confident that we will see similar patterns in places where problematic use of cannabis has increased, or where the potency of cannabis has increased, since many studies suggest that high-potency cannabis is probably the driver of the association with schizophrenia.”

Around the world tens of millions of people use cannabis. It’s legal for recreational use in 19 US states and Canada. In these and some other places, it’s also approved to treat some medical conditions.

Source: Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds – CNN

Greensburg doctor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks over fentanyl spray | TribLIVE.com

A Greensburg doctor pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to taking kickbacks, health care fraud and conspiring to distribute controlled substances.

Thomas Whitten, 71, will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV on Dec. 7.

According to prosecutors, Whitten received kickbacks from Arizona-based Insys Therapeutics from May 2013 to November 2015 in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a powerful opioid containing fentanyl. Subsys, which is a liquid that gets sprayed under a patient’s tongue, is only approved for the “management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients” who have developed a tolerance to other pain killers.

However, investigators said Whitten prescribed the drug to patients for whom it was not medically necessary and, therefore, it was not eligible for insurance reimbursement.

Whitten also pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute phentermine hyrocholoride and diethlpropion to patients at five weight-loss clinics from November 2017 to December 2019.

Source: Greensburg doctor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks over fentanyl spray | TribLIVE.com

‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

 

 

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A new medical marijuana dispensary is opening in Pittsburgh.

“goodblend” opened at 10 a.m. Saturday on Baum Boulevard.

People who enter must have a valid Pennsylvania medical marijuana patient card.

Source: ‘goodblend’ Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opening In Pittsburgh – CBS Pittsburgh

FBI: Raids lead to at least 5 charged in cocaine ring that supplied Johnstown, Monroeville – WPXI

 

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — At least five people are facing federal charges for their involvement in a large cocaine ring that distributed drugs throughout the region, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to a criminal complaint in U.S. District Court, Mikal Davis, James Dotson, Azheem Ellis, Dwight Logan and Timothy Mollet have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine.

Agents with the FBI, Department of Homeland Security were assisted by state and local law enforcement as they executed warrants at several locations throughout the city Thursday morning, according to WJAC.

Investigators say the quintet distributed the drugs in the Johnstown and Monroeville areas and beyond.

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According to the complaint, agents and Task Force Officers used multiple confidential informants throughout the investigation.

The complaint says investigators recorded phone calls and made controlled buys from the defendants between June 3, 2019 and March 31, 2021.

Davis is described by the FBI as the co-leader of the organization, Dotson is described as the lieutenant and Ellis, Logan and Mollet are described as distributors.

Authorities say Hector Concepcion is also facing federal charges for distributing cocaine and heroin between August 12, 2019 and December 23, 2020.

Source: FBI: Raids lead to at least 5 charged in cocaine ring that supplied Johnstown, Monroeville – WPXI

Pittsburgh mother, man face charges after 6-week-old baby tests positive for cocaine

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh mother and a man are facing charges after doctors found cocaine in the system of a 6-week-old baby.

Lindsey Satterfield, 38, took her baby to a doctor’s appointment because he kept vomiting. The doctor determined he was a pound underweight from his last appointment.

Police searched the home of Satterfield and Matthew Bell, 43, along Woodbourne Avenue in Brookline.

Inside the home, police found loose pills, stamp bags of heroin, syringes, used crack pipes and scales, according to court documents.

During an interview with police, Bell said that while he and Satterfield used crack cocaine last week, the baby was sitting in his baby swing in the living room.

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He said both he and Satterfield touched the baby after touching the crack cocaine and the crack pipe, according to the criminal complaint.

Bell further said he assumed that is how the baby tested positive for cocaine. Both Satterfield and Bell were taken to the Allegheny County Jail. Both are facing several charges, including endangering the welfare of children and aggravated assault.

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The baby was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent tests to determine the cause. It was during a regular urinalysis that cocaine was discovered in his system. The baby was admitted to the hospital.

Source: Pittsburgh mother, man face charges after 6-week-old baby tests positive for cocaine

$1.19 billion worth of marijuana seized in massive drug bust in California – CBS News

Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said Wednesday. The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department.

The operation, which began on June 8, resulted in 22 felony arrests, 109 misdemeanor arrests, and 19 arrests from water theft enforcement teams, officials said. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. Nearly 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,480 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized, along with 65 vehicles, 180 animals and $28,000.

Source: $1.19 billion worth of marijuana seized in massive drug bust in California – CBS News

Over 69 pounds of cocaine discovered on cruise ship – CNN

 

(CNN)A cruise ship’s security services discovered 69.5 pounds of cocaine on board the vessel last week and turned over the haul to US Customs and Border Protection officers upon docking at a Florida port, CBP said in a statement.

Cruise officials alerted CBP officers assigned to Port Everglades seaport that a vessel inspection had found garbage bags with brick-shaped packages in a void space of the ship.
On June 6, CBP officers met the cruise ship and security team during a maintenance stop at Port Everglades, and the packages of white powder tested positive for cocaine, CBP said.
The CBP’s Advanced Tactical Cargo Enforcement Team performed a “thorough inspection” of the ship and did not find any other contraband, the agency said.

Source: Over 69 pounds of cocaine discovered on cruise ship – CNN

El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel Aispuro pleads guilty to federal charges – CBS News

Washington — The wife of notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal charges that stem from assisting her husband run his multi-billion dollar criminal empire.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, entered her plea during a hearing Thursday at the federal district court in Washington, appearing in person before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras and wearing a green prison uniform and white mask. Speaking through a Spanish translator, Coronel Aispuro told the court she is pleading guilty to all three criminal charges related to her involvement in her husband’s sprawling drug enterprise.

Source: El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel Aispuro pleads guilty to federal charges – CBS News

‘Magic’ mushroom grow operation found at Rostraver home, police say | TribLIVE.com

A suspected psychedelic mushroom grow operation was discovered in a Rostraver home Thursday while police said they were investigating threats made by the property owner, according to court papers.

Authorities arrested Michael Jonathan McClain, 45, who is being held without bond at the Westmoreland County Prison.

Source: ‘Magic’ mushroom grow operation found at Rostraver home, police say | TribLIVE.com

More than 60 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl found in vehicle during Mercer County traffic stop – WPXI

WOLF CREEK TWP., Pa. — Two Los Angeles, California residents are facing serious drug charges in Mercer County after more than 60 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl were found in their vehicle during a traffic stop.

The incident occurred on Interstate 80 in Wolf Creek Township on Wednesday, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.

Police said the vehicle was pulled over for traffic violations, and during the investigation 29 kilograms, or 63.8 pounds, of cocaine and fentanyl were found in hidden compartments within the vehicle.

Alvaro Elenes, 44, and Gabriel Garcia, 26, both of Los Angeles, California, were arrested and are being held in the Mercer County Jail on $500,000 bail each. They were both charged with felony drug charges.

The both are scheduled for preliminary hearings on June 16.

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Source: More than 60 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl found in vehicle during Mercer County traffic stop – WPXI

Sohail Farooque: Virginia trooper seizes pounds of crack cocaine, marijuana during I-95 DUI stop in Virginia

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Photo by: Virginia State Police
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A state trooper netted a massive cache of drugs when he pulled over a drunk driver along Interstate 95 in Henrico County early Saturday morning, according to Virginia State Police.

Trooper J. Rivera stopped a car he clocked at 94 mph in a 65 mph zone on I-95 north near the exit for Chamberlayne Avenue, state police officials posted on Facebook.

When the trooper pulled over the driver around 1 a.m., he found 5 pounds of crack cocaine and 25 pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle.

Troopers said 36-year-old Sohail Farooque of Chester was arrested on DUI and illegal drug charges.

Source: Sohail Farooque: Virginia trooper seizes pounds of crack cocaine, marijuana during I-95 DUI stop

Pair jailed on drug charges following arrest at Steubenville business | WTOV

Two people are in jail after being arrested outside of a Steubenville gas station Friday night.

Steubenville police responded shortly after 11 for an alleged shoplifting call.

Upon arrival, officers noticed a hypodermic needle sticking out of the top of the alleged suspect’s shirt.

The woman and a male driver were arrested for drug possession charges after officers found more hypodermic needles in the car, plus cocaine and fentanyl.

Source: Pair jailed on drug charges following arrest at Steubenville business | WTOV

Schumer says he will soon introduce a marijuana legalization bill | Fox News

Sen. Chuck Schumer said that he would be introducing a marijuana bill “shortly,” one that would not only legalize the drug but would expunge past records.

“Here’s the immediate time frame,” the New York Democrat told podcast host and former South Carolina representative Bakari Sellers. “The three people working on a comprehensive bill are myself, Senator [Ron] Wyden and Senator [Corey] Booker, and we will be introducing our bill shortly.”

“It is not just legalization but a deal for the injustices of the past expungement of the records making sure that the money that’s made from marijuana goes to the communities, communities of color, poor people communities, that have paid the price for this ridiculous scheduling of marijuana,” Schumer said.

“We’re going to get some support from the right on this, we hope,” Schumer continued. “It’s going to take a little while, we’re going to need a mass campaign, but there’s real excitement in the country to do this right now.”

Source: Schumer says he will soon introduce a marijuana legalization bill | Fox News

Brazil drug raid: 25 killed in Rio de Janeiro favela – CNN

Porto Alegre, Brazil (CNN)Twenty-five people, including one police officer, were killed in a police anti-drug raid in a slum on Thursday in Rio de Janeiro, according to state police, despite a Supreme Court order banning such operations other than in “absolutely exceptional” circumstances during the pandemic.

Human rights groups and academic researchers say the widely criticized raid in the Jacarezinho favela was among the deadliest operations in the history of Rio de Janeiro, a state of 17 million that in 2020 alone tallied 1,239 people killed by the police, according to the state government’s Institute for Public Security (ISP.)
In a press conference late Thursday, a spokesman for the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police said the purpose of the operation was to prevent drug traffickers from forcing minors to join gangs. “We went to that community to guarantee the rights of that population that lives under the dictatorship of drug trafficking,” Felipe Curi, director of the General Department of Specialized Police said.
According to the Civil Police, 200 officers took part in the operation authorities said followed months of investigation and aimed to prevent drug traffickers from forcing minors to join gangs. The raid led to the arrest of six people and the seizure of 20 guns, in addition to what the police called “abundant amounts of drugs.”

Source: Brazil drug raid: 25 killed in Rio de Janeiro favela – CNN

3 Michigan residents arrested after package of suspected heroin intercepted in Hempfield | TribLIVE.com

Westmoreland County detectives and state troopers used a tip from an informant to intercept a tennis ball-size package of raw heroin Thursday as it was delivered to Hempfield from Michigan, according to court documents.

Three residents from Eastpoint, Mich. — Percy Harper, 33, Jessica R. Walilko and Carlos E. Wade, 33 — were arrested on charges of possession, manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance filed by county detectives after the 9 p.m. operation in the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn Motel off Route 30.

Source: 3 Michigan residents arrested after package of suspected heroin intercepted in Hempfield | TribLIVE.com

DA: $65K worth of meth taken off the streets during large bust at Johnstown hotel | WJAC

Two people are facing charges after a major methamphetamine bust at a Johnstown hotel Friday, according to the Cambria County District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Greg Neugebauer says Cambria County Sheriff’s Deputies came into contact with Amanda Robinson and Michael Knisely Friday at the Econo Lodge on Napolean Street downtown.

Investigators say suspected drug activity led to the discovery of more than 600 grams of methamphetamine which has a street value of about $65,000.

Investigators say they also discovered other drugs like heroin, pills and marijuana, along with $10,274.

Source: DA: $65K worth of meth taken off the streets during large bust at Johnstown hotel | WJAC

Loyalhanna Township couple charged with operating meth lab

State police arrested a Loyalhanna Township couple early Wednesday after shutting down what they called a methamphetamine lab at the couple’s home in rural Westmoreland County. Brian Miller, 51, and Jennifer Lynn Williams, 53, are charged with operating a methamphetamine lab, possession of a controlled substance, and possession with intent to deliver.

preliminary hearing on the new charges is April 19.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Source: Loyalhanna Township couple charged with operating meth lab

Schumer: Senate will act on marijuana legalization with or without Biden – POLITICO

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer really likes to talk about weed.

Schumer has been making waves on cannabis policy since he first introduced a bill to legalize marijuana in April 2018. It was part of his pitch for voting Democrat in the 2020 election, and now — with the majority in hand — he is putting together new federal marijuana reform legislation with Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

This week, Schumer’s home state of New York legalized marijuana use for adults, after years of failed efforts. More than 40 percent of Americans now live in states that have embraced full legalization.

President Joe Biden has been a conspicuous outlier among Democrats when it comes to supporting marijuana legalization. But Schumer said Biden’s reticence won’t deter the Senate from taking aggressive action to loosen federal restrictions.

Source: Schumer: Senate will act on marijuana legalization with or without Biden – POLITICO

New York state legislature passes bill to legalize recreational marijuana

 POINTS
  • New York’s state Senate and Assembly both passed a bill Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana.
  • “I look forward to signing this legislation into law,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
  • If the bill is signed, legalization of the plant would be effective immediately but legal recreational sales would not be expected to begin for one or two years.

Source: New York state legislature passes bill to legalize recreational marijuana

DA: Johnstown woman among seven arrested in recent warrant sweep | WJAC

According to Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer, a Johnstown woman was among seven people arrested in a recent warrant sweep.

Authorities say 39-year-old Vanessa Stephens was arrested Thursday in Solomon Homes on felony drug charges.

Investigators say a search of her residence led to the seizure of 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a small amount of heroin.

Stephens faces charges of drug possession with the intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication device, according to court documents.

Source: DA: Johnstown woman among seven arrested in recent warrant sweep | WJAC

Wilkinsburg man pleads to manslaughter after friend is killed in drug deal gone bad | TribLIVE.com

A Wilkinsburg man with ties to two high-profile cases pleaded guilty Wednesday to involuntary manslaughter in an unrelated shooting.

Demetres Beck, 26, admitted to Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski that he and a friend, Kierre Simmons, participated in a robbery on Dec. 29, 2014.

According to Deputy District Attorney Ilan Zur, Beck and Simmons went to a home in North Braddock to buy marijuana that day, but then pulled guns and tried to rob the two men selling it.

Police said Beck pulled the trigger first, and the sellers had guns and returned fire.

Simmons, 25, of Shadyside, was killed.

Beck was ordered to serve 2-1/2 to five years in prison to be followed by three years probation.

Defense attorney Casey White said his client has already serve 55 months in custody.

During the hearing, Beck apologized to the court for his actions.

Source: Wilkinsburg man pleads to manslaughter after friend is killed in drug deal gone bad | TribLIVE.com

Monessen man faces drug, gun charges after traffic stop | TribLIVE.com

A Monessen man was arrested Saturday in Rostraver after state police said they found him in possession of a gun and drugs, according to court papers.

Rashawn Ford, 25, is charged with drug possession, weapons violations and other offenses.

State police said they pulled over a car with an expired registration that was headed north on the Vance DeiCas Memorial Highway in Rostraver at 5 p.m. While talking to the driver, identified by police as Ford, troopers noticed numerous empty prescription pill bottles lying on the floor of the car, according to court papers.

Investigators in court papers referenced recent violence and drug activity in the Monessen and Donora area as a factor in the decision to ask him to step out of the vehicle. Troopers said they found 50 bricks of suspected heroin and a loaded pistol in Ford’s pants. Three more bricks and three bundles of drugs were seized from his jacket pocket, according to court papers.

Source: Monessen man faces drug, gun charges after traffic stop | TribLIVE.com

Half-ton of marijuana valued at over $8 million found by dog on routine traffic stop – ABC News

The incident occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16, when an Indiana State Police trooper stopped a van for a moving violation near the town of Lowell, Indiana, about 50 miles southeast of Chicago, according to a statement released by the Indiana State Police.

The officer approached the vehicle with police to speak with the driver — later named as 31-year-old Christopher S. Colburn from McKinleyville, California — which subsequently led to an investigation of the exterior of the vehicle, including a canine sniff, that caused the officer to ask about what was inside the van.“

During that search, troopers discovered 38 large boxes and 6 black garbage bags.,” said the Indiana State Police. “The boxes were wrapped in black plastic wrap. Inside the boxes contained a total of 1,264 individually sealed bags, each weighing approximately 1.5 lbs., and contained a green plant material. A field test of the content revealed it to be marijuana.”

Source: Half-ton of marijuana valued at over $8 million found by dog on routine traffic stop – ABC News

Derry man charged with having heroin, fentanyl at Westmoreland County Prison | TribLIVE.com

Jason Michael Thomas, 31, of Derry, is charged with drug possession and contraband.

Detectives said Thomas was being processed at 1:20 a.m. Sept 15 at the Hempfield jail prior to arraignment on charges stemming from a domestic assault in a vehicle filed by North Huntingdon police. He was carrying his shoes and walking to a cell when authorities said he dropped a bundle of stamp bags.

Source: Derry man charged with having heroin, fentanyl at Westmoreland County Prison | TribLIVE.com

A Deadly Synthetic Street Drug Called ‘Benzo Dope’ Is on the Rise

FRANCISCO GARCIA

The emerging drug contains two highly-potent highs, fentanyl and etizolam, and has been linked to a string of drug deaths in Canada.

Fatal overdoses are more likely to occur after using benzo dope because the life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone, is not effective against benzos.

Benzo dope, also known as ‘purple heroin’, is most commonly dark purple, blue and orange, but it has been found to be other colours.

Drug forensic experts in British Columbia found that in October last year one in six (16 percent) of fentanyl deals were cut with benzodiazepines – a type of drug not usually found cut into opioids – compared to five per cent last January and zero before 2019.

The most common benzo identified in benzo dope was etizolam, a super potent benzo that is fuelling record drug death rates in Scotland.

Authorities in Canada were first alerted to benzo dope when health workers noticed a cluster of 30 “atypical” overdoses over two weeks in Vancouver in April 2019, where drug users were not responding to naloxone. A warning about the new drug combo was issued by Vancouver Coastal Health.

The combination of benzos and fentanyl causes prolonged loss of consciousness, profound respiratory depression and amnesia. In January, half of the 165 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in British Columbia – most of which involved fentanyl – also involved benzos, compared to only 15 percent in July last year. Last year was the deadliest year on record for overdoses in British Columbia, the epicentre of Canada’s drug death crisis.

Source: A Deadly Synthetic Street Drug Called ‘Benzo Dope’ Is on the Rise

Police: Traffic Stop Leads To Largest Single-Day Heroin Bust In Bridgeville Police History – CBS Pittsburgh

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

BRIDGEVILLE (KDKA) — A 26-year-old man is facing numerous drug charges in connection with the largest single-day heroin bust in Bridgeville Police history following a recent traffic stop.

READ MORE:COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: 4,000 To Be Vaccinated At Heinz Field Clinic

Police say that 26-year-old Ronell Cathie of Pittsburgh was arrested after a traffic stop on Sunday, February 21.

READ MORE:COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: State Health Dept. Reports 2,564 New Coronavirus Cases, 74 Additional Deaths

(Courtesy: Bridgeville Police Department)

According to police, Cathie was stopped and police seized approximately 400 stamp bags of heroin, approximately $1,000 in cash, and three cell phones.

(Courtesy: Bridgeville Police Department)

Cathie was transported to the Allegheny Co. Jail and was released on bond the next day.

Source: Police: Traffic Stop Leads To Largest Single-Day Heroin Bust In Bridgeville Police History – CBS Pittsburgh

Westmoreland jail inmate charged after detectives say she swallowed drugs in cell | TribLIVE.com

A Westmoreland County Prison inmate is accused by county detectives of swallowing four stamp bags of suspected heroin she had in her cell after being committed there earlier this month, according to court papers.

Elizabeth June Cramer, 35, of Greensburg, is charged with contraband and tampering with evidence.

A fifth stamp bag recovered in Cramer’s cell by corrections officers was marked “Chucky,” which has been linked to drug overdoses and deaths around the region, according to court papers.

Source: Westmoreland jail inmate charged after detectives say she swallowed drugs in cell | TribLIVE.com

Columbia professor: I do heroin regularly for ‘work-life balance’

Carl Hart is a Columbia University professor of psychology and neuroscience. He chairs the psych department and has a fondness for heroin – not only as a subject of scholarly pursuit but also as a substance for personal use.

At 54, the married father of three has snorted small amounts of heroin for as many as 10 days in a row and enjoyed it mightily – even if, as he recalls in his new book “Drug Use for Grown-ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear” (Penguin Press), he’s experienced mild withdrawal symptoms “12 to 16 hours after the last dose.”

But, as Hart sees it, the discomfort is a worthwhile trade-off.

Source: Columbia professor: I do heroin regularly for ‘work-life balance’

Greensburg woman charged with endangering children, drug possession after traffic stop | TribLIVE.com

A Greensburg woman pulled over early Tuesday for driving erratically during a snow storm without functioning headlights was later arrested by city police and charged with illegal possession of crack cocaine and heroin.

Sarah K. Walters, 28, also was charged with child endangerment because, police say, she had two young children, ages 3 and 5, in her van who were not secured in child safety seats and left a third child, 8, at her apartment unsupervised during the trip.

Patrolman Henry Fontana Jr. said the incident began at 12:41 a.m. on the 700 block of Highland Avenue when he noticed Walters’s van with improperly working headlights having trouble navigating the snow-covered road. He pulled her over in the Nature’s Way parking lot, according to police reports.

Fontana said, when he questioned Walters, he saw two children not properly secured in child safety seats and discovered Walters in possession of suspected crack cocaine, heroin and devices to ingest the drugs.

“Through investigation, it was determined that Walters left a third child, an 8-years-old girl, at home and unattended as she drove to a Greensburg residence to purchase crack cocaine and heroin,” Fontana wrote in court documents.

Source: Greensburg woman charged with endangering children, drug possession after traffic stop | TribLIVE.com

Friedens man arrested on warrant; Somerset DA says meth, marijuana found | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

A Somerset County man wanted on a warrant was arrested over the weekend and now has drug charges pending following a drug bust in Friedens, Somerset County District Attorney Jeff Thomas said.

Thomas said investigators went to 33-year-old Albert Marody’s home after people in the area started reporting “strange activity” at all hours of the night, including brief after-midnight visitors.

Police went to the Friedens home to serve Marody with a warrant, and discovered two ounces of methamphetamine and two pounds of marijuana, as well as drug paraphernalia, Thomas said.

Marody was taken into custody and now has additional charges pending related to the drugs found at his residence.

Source: Friedens man arrested on warrant; Somerset DA says meth, marijuana found | Coronavirus | tribdem.com

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