NEW CASTLE —
The law has been following Andrae Lamont Jackson for several years.
Yesterday it caught up with him with a wake-up call.
The 30-year-old Lower East Side resident was roused from his bed around 6 a.m. by police, who seized suspected cocaine and marijuana, a gun and more than $2,900 in cash when they forced their way into his upstairs duplex apartment at 202 S. Ray St. Police carried a sealed search warrant.
Also inside were two women and 19-year-old Christopher Holmes, who was arrested on a bench warrant, according to Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa.
Two children, ages 4 and 8, were sleeping on the floor in the bedroom where Jackson and one of the women were sleeping.
Lawrence County Children and Youth Services social workers took custody of the children after determining the home was an unsafe environment for them.
Lamancusa said officers searching the house found 70 small bags of suspected crack cocaine, totaling 29.9 grams, with an estimated street value of $3,000. The suspected crack cocaine was found in pockets of various clothes hanging in Jackson’s closet, he said.
The bulk of the $2,901.42 in cash was hidden in the ceiling tiles of the apartment, and a loaded Glock 27 0.40 caliber pistol was found near the contraband, Lamancusa said. Various items of drug paraphernalia also were in the house, he said.
Conviction of both a gun and drug charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison Lamancusa said, adding that police targeted Jackson through undercover narcotics activities.
He said Jackson was living with the female who is the listed tenant, and the realtor owns the house has been notified.
According to a city police report, Jackson was the driver of a car pulled over a week ago in the Grant Street area when police charged Kenneth Stephone Hardret, 24, of Highland Avenue, with multiple drug and gun-related offenses. Hardret allegedly got out of the car and ran from the police, dropping a loaded gun and suspected cocaine en route. He is still at large.
Jackson was released from the scene at the time, but police discovered he did not have a valid driver’s license and his name was not on the vehicle lease. No charges were filed against him then.
After yesterday’s search, Jackson was charged with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, endangering the welfare of children and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned by District Judge Melissa A. Amodie and is being held in the Lawrence County jail on $100,000 bond.
Lamancusa said the gun recovered had been reported missing, but it was not confirmed whether it had been stolen.
Participating in the search were members of the district attorney’s drug task force and its special investigative unit and the New Castle police narcotics bureau, its special entry team and canine unit.
Police Reports
Related Photos
Discussion
Police deliver ‘wake-up call’ to drug suspect
- Police Reports
-
-
South Side man faces gun, drug charges
A South Side man was arrested on gun and drug charges following a traffic stop on the city’s North Hill. Martel Lamar Webb, 19, of 199 Hamilton St. had been wanted by police on charges in a domestic assault case in May when police caught up with him.
-
Bomb threat locks down jail
The Lawrence County jail was locked down Tuesday afternoon because of an apparent bomb scare.
-
Truck found in Mahoning River
Crews from the North Beaver Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to a truck found in the Mahoning River Monday night.
-
Woman charged for assaulting 1-year-old
A New Castle woman was arrested and charged with the assault of a year-old child in Scott Township. Nicole Martin, 26, of New Castle was arraigned before District Judge David Rishel on a charge of simple assault. She was lodged in the Lawrence County jail on $1,000 bond.
-
Jail receives bomb threat
The Lawrence County jail received a bomb threat over the weekend. New Castle police reported a call was received at 7:40 p.m. Saturday from a man who said he “was coming up to blow up the jail.”
-
Child says man tried to kidnap him
A 6-year-old playing in his yard Saturday night said a man tried to abduct him. Pennsylvania State Police said the child, playing on his swing set on Line Street, Perry Township, about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, was approached by a blond, bearded, tattooed man who tried to talk to him.
-
Y Zone evacuated in power outage
The Y Zone in Neshannock Township was evacuated Friday afternoon out of concern for fire. An electrical box at the facility reportedly exploded, cutting power and creating smoke.
-
Two arrested in East Side drug raid
Narcotics officers arrested two men and seized heroin in a raid of a house on New Castle’s East Side. New Castle Police Chief Bobby Salem said city police and Lawrence County District Attorney’s detectives served a sealed search warrant at Apartment D, 502 Florence Ave., around 9 p.m. Wednesday.
-
Police probe alleged overdose
New Castle police are investigating a reported drug overdose of a woman found in a car on the city’s West Side. The woman, 29-year-old Misty Blu McKim of Youngstown, was reported to have been in cardiac arrest and had two children in car seats in the back of the car.
-
Police arrest 15 in drug roundup
Police in Lawrence County arrested 15 people Thursday as part of an ongoing sweep of accused drug dealers. Lawrence County District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa said the detail, dubbed “Operation Spring Cleaning,” began around 10 a.m.
- More Police Reports Headlines
-
