What started out as a traffic stop Tuesday by two members of the Stonewood Police Department ended up being the largest heroin bust by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department Street Crimes and Drugs (SCAD) unit. During a late morning press conference Sheriff Albert Marano said more than $50,000 in heroin was uncovered as a result of the stop, subsequent investigation and eventual arrests of three individuals hours later.

 

“This is a significant seizure of heroin with multiple arrests,” said Marano. “ … It turned into viable information and the Street Crimes was able to develop more information throughout the afternoon and evening and was able to make some arrests.”

 

A trio of individuals that Marano said information shows are likely members of the Pittsburgh-based Crips gang and also described by one officer as “serious gang bangers” now faces felony drug charges. The men arrested were Ralph Gordon “Mook” Gaston, Jr. 23, of Monroeville, Pa.; Gerald Lee Pass Jr., 28, of Pittsburgh; and Migeah “Miguel” Dennis Edward Smith, 25, also of Pittsburgh.

 

All three men are facing the same felony charges. The charges include possession with intent to deliver heroin; conspiracy to deliver heroin; interstate trafficking of heroin, and conspiracy to commit interstate trafficking of heroin. Marano said more arrests were pending in the near future. If eventually convicted of everything, the trio would only spend a maximum of four years in jail, according to officials at the press conference.

 

As a result of SCAD’s efforts, 52 and a half bricks were recovered. The drugs would have been sold under the labeled name “Power Hour.”

 

“I believe they were here to set up and sell on the streets to lower level distributors,” said Marano. “This was going to head out all over Harrison County and bust. This particular bust is the largest the Street Crimes unit has done in one particularly setting.”

 

As for the arrests, Chief Deputy Jeff McAtee said it was the result of cooperation and the fact that the Street Crimes unit was familiar with the individuals involved in the traffic stop. The SCAD members assisted at that time, but there was nothing found.

 

After that, SCAD began surveillance on the targets. The group was able to locate one of the individuals cell phone numbers.

 

“These individuals keep two sets of cell phones. One they keep personal that they only give out to certain people. The others are called burners, which they throw away,” said McAtee. “We were able to obtain his personal cell phone number.”

 

One of the undercover officers took advantage of a cell phone being used in an undercover manner and texted to that person that the police were coming and “to get out,” said McAtee. The individuals, McAtee said, immediately abandoned their vehicles. At that point, officers followed on foot, but eventually lost contact with them.

 

With the vehicle abandoned, Salem Police Department’s K-9 unit was brought in to check the car. The drug dog hit on the car and based on the information, search warrants were obtained once the hotel where the individuals were staying was located.

 

“While (officers) were in the lobby of the hotel … they observed one of the individuals throw a package into a trash can where they recovered about 40 bricks of heroin from the trash can,” said McAtee. “ … The fake (text) made them panic. It made them change their game plan and make mistakes and they got caught for that.”

 

Heroin was recovered in the room as well as during a search of the vehicle. As mentioned above, the total bricks recovered were 52 and a half.

 

“You’re looking at 2,620 $20 doses,” said Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney Joe Shaffer. “That’s 2,620 opportunities for people to die. There’s heroin in here, but you don’t know what else is mixed in with it. It could be as high as $54,000 worth of heroin.”

 

The brother of Ralph Gaston was actually arrested, said McAtee, almost a year to the day by the SCAD unit. McAtee said he had 32 bricks on his possession at the time of the arrest.

 

This time, the heroin was primarily in bricks, but also bundles of 10s and some individual units. McAtee said there are discounts for buying larger quantities.

 

“This was a cooperative effort between the Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, the Stonewood Police Department and the Salem Police Department’s officer and K-9 unit as well,” said Marano. “All four agencies played a big part in this.”

 

No firearms or cash was recovered during the bust. Marano said the good news with the lack of cash stems from the fact that the heroin had not yet hit the streets unlike many past busts where large sums of cash have been recovered.

 

“The good news about not getting cash is that we got the heroin before it hit the streets,” said Marano.

 

Individuals with information on this case, or any other drug matters can leave an anonymous tip at the still relatively new Web site HarrisonCountyDrug.com. More on that at a later date on Connect-Bridgeport.com.

 

Editor's Note: Pictured above is Sheriff Albert Marano, left, and Chief Deputy Jeff McAtee. The bricks, as well as an individual stamp, are also pictured.