27 Mon-Yough Residents Charged in Federal Drug Investigations

By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
August 24, 2017
Posted in: Crime and Police News

More than 20 people from the Mon-Yough area have been arrested in connection with drug trafficking in Allegheny and Washington counties after a federal grand jury returned two indictments this week.

Three of the suspects named in the indictments remain at large. Eighteen of the people charged are from Clairton.

The indictments were unsealed Thursday.

In all, 27 people have been charged in connection with two separate, but related investigations into trafficking of cocaine, heroin and illegally obtained prescription narcotics, said Acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song in a prepared statement.

The investigations were conducted by the FBI, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County police and the Allegheny County sheriff's department, and funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program, Song said.

Charged with four counts each of violating federal narcotics laws, according to Song, are:

• Skyler Carter, 36, of Clairton;
• Dawndre Bivins, 30, of North Versailles Twp.;
• Jojuan Bray, 21, of Clairton;
• Courtney Carter, 39, of Clairton;
• Jalea Carter, 25, of Clairton;
• Bernard Dawkins, 60, of Clairton;
• Jammie Fridley, 48, of West Mifflin;
• Malcolm Howard, 25, of Clairton;
• Jean Hull, 52, of Clairton;
• Kevin Jackson, 34, of Clairton;
• Samuel Lopresti, 55, of Clairton;
• Cameron Ranson, 42, of Clairton;
• Eugene Reddick, 35, of Dunlevy, Washington County;
• Paul Sedor, 36, of Elizabeth;
• Katie Spratt, 31, of Pittsburgh;
• Erika Turner, 30, of Clairton; and
• Terrence Wade, 47, of Clairton

According to Song, prosecutors allege that Carter conspired with the other defendants to distribute heroin, powder cocaine, crack cocaine and the prescription drug fentanyl from March to August of this year.

Prosecutors also charged Courtney Carter and Jalea Carter with "using or maintaining a drug-involved premises" between March and June of this year.

In the second indictment, according to Song, charged with three counts each of violating federal narcotics laws are:

• Corey Jackson, 31, of Clairton;
• Alex Brown Jr., 39, of Clairton;
• John H. Jenkins, Jr., 48, of Finleyville, Washington County;
• Quintin Napper, 30, of Clairton;
• Tywan Napper, 33, of Clairton;
• Colleen Paff, 47, of Finleyville, Washington County;
• William Paff, 52, of Finleyville, Washington County;
• Herbert Ranson, 30, of Clairton;
• David Stevenson Jr., 32, of Clairton; and
• Samuel Terrant, 49, of Finleyville, Washington County.

Prosecutors allege that Jackson and the other defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine between January and August.

Brown is charged with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of butyrylfentanyl --- a potent but short-acting drug that is similar chemically to fentanyl --- as well as fentanyl itself in connection with an incident on Feb. 23.

Tywan Napper is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin in connection with an incident on Feb. 28, Song said.

A spokeswoman for Song's office said Thursday night that Courtney Carter, Terrence Wade and Herbert Ranson are still at large, but the others have been arrested. The U.S. Attorney's office has requested that 13 of the 27 defendants be held in jail pending trial, the spokeswoman said.

For Skyler Carter, Corey Jackson, and David Stevenson Jr., the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5 million, or both, Song said.

For the remaining defendants in both indictments, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Lamb is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government, Song said.

Originally published August 24, 2017.

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