By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A former Youngstown man has been charged in the death of an 11-year-old New Castle boy who died two years ago.
Alfred K. Paige, 38, who is serving time in a state prison, is expected back in Lawrence County this week to face a charge of criminal homicide in the May 7, 2000, death of Andre Tolbert of Neshannock Avenue, New Castle.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino said the boy's death was a result of a head injury he suffered when he was 2 months old.
Paige was apparently watching the boy for the infant's mother, who was at work, on Nov. 5, 1988, when the boy was struck in the head, suffering a skull fracture, brain trauma, bleeding and swelling. As a result, Andre was severely debilitated until his death in May 2000, Mangino said.
The district attorney said New Castle police investigated the matter in 1988, but no charges were filed.
The matter was brought up again last year by the Lawrence County Death Review Board, a multiagency panel that reviews all infant and child deaths in the county, Mangino said.
"They had some concerns after they met and contacted the New Castle police and began another investigation," he said.
Body exhumed
Andre's body was exhumed and an autopsy was performed April 3, 2002, by Dr. Karl Williams in Ellwood City Hospital. Williams decided that the head trauma was not an accident and that the boy's death was a result of that trauma.
Paige is now in the State Correctional Institute in Coal Township northeast of Harrisburg on unrelated charges. Mangino would not say why Paige is in prison.
However, Lawrence County Common Pleas Court records show that Paige pleaded guilty to aggravated assault charges in 1999 and was sentenced to two to four years in prison. Police said he stabbed his landlord in the head and neck during an argument.
Court records show Paige formerly lived on Rosewood Avenue in Youngstown and most recently lived on Pearson Street in New Castle.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/oct/03/new-castle-man-faces-charge-in-boys-death/
NEW CASTLE, PA. Investigation nets drug-ring arrests
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Investigators say a big supplier of cocaine to the city has been shut off with the arrests in a suspected drug ring.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher was in New Castle on Monday to announce the arrests and explain the operation.
The group's suspected ringleader, James Johnson, 33, of Ridge Street, brought nearly $500,000 worth of suspected cocaine to New Castle over about a two-year period, the attorney general said.
Charges: Johnson was charged with possession of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia and firearm violations. District Justice Melissa Amodie arraigned Johnson, and his bond was set at $50,000.
Fisher said Johnson was buying about a kilo, or about 2.2 pounds, of suspected cocaine each month and then selling it in smaller amounts to others.
"A kilo would generally not be sold to users. It's broken down into about 35 ounces and he could profit as much as $35,000 from the sale," Fisher said.
The drug mostly originated from a source in the Bronx section of New York City, but some of it also came from Detroit, Fisher said. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is looking into those connections and they hope to make more arrests soon, he said.
Fisher, along with Matthew Mangino, county district attorney, and New Castle Police Chief Victor Cubellis spoke at press conference in front of a poster board with pictures of those arrested and explaining their connections in the drug ring.
Fisher said that through the use of confidential police informants and a court-approved wiretap on Johnson's cellular telephone, they were able to file the charges.
All but three of the suspects were arrested Monday morning and arraigned by Amodie. Police said they were still searching for two people, and Ben David Tolbert, 34, who is in state prison, will be arraigned sometime this week. Tolbert is charged with delivery of cocaine.
Bond was set at $15,000 each for the others, Amodie said.
Arrests included Johnson's wife, Tabitha Johnson, 35, Ridge Street, and Theresa Wright, 28, of Beech Street, identified as Johnson's girlfriend, Fisher said. Each face a charge of criminal use of a communication facility and criminal conspiracy.
Court documents said both women knew about Johnson's drug trafficking and telephoned him several times about drug deals in October 2001 while police were listening to his calls.
Other conversations: Investigators also taped conversations between Johnson and Juan Marcus Searcy, 20, of West Washington Street. The two men talked about drug buys. Searcy also is accused of selling suspected cocaine to two different police informants, court records said.
He faces charges of delivery of cocaine, criminal conspiracy to deliver cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility.
Anthony Moss Sr., 33, of Locust Street faces charges of delivery of cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility. Court records said he sold suspected cocaine to a confidential police informant twice.
Police said the others charged called Johnson about drug buys while police were tapping Johnson's telephone.
Each of these people face charges of criminal facilitation of a communication device -- Michelle Keys, 32, of Sankey Street; Robert John Sullivan, 43, of Smithfield Street; Scott A. King, 35, of Boyle Avenue; and Tamesha Jackson, 24, of Pin Oak Drive.
Police said most of these taped conversations from the wiretap were less than two minutes long and all were identified through voice-recognition, self-identification or identification by one of the other speakers.
The arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on drugs in the county with investigations by multiple county police departments, the district attorney's drug task force and the state.
A total of 50 people have been arrested on drug-related charges since mid-December, Mangino said.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/apr/02/new-castle-pa-investigation-nets-drug-ring/
Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher was in New Castle on Monday to announce the arrests and explain the operation.
The group's suspected ringleader, James Johnson, 33, of Ridge Street, brought nearly $500,000 worth of suspected cocaine to New Castle over about a two-year period, the attorney general said.
Charges: Johnson was charged with possession of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia and firearm violations. District Justice Melissa Amodie arraigned Johnson, and his bond was set at $50,000.
Fisher said Johnson was buying about a kilo, or about 2.2 pounds, of suspected cocaine each month and then selling it in smaller amounts to others.
"A kilo would generally not be sold to users. It's broken down into about 35 ounces and he could profit as much as $35,000 from the sale," Fisher said.
The drug mostly originated from a source in the Bronx section of New York City, but some of it also came from Detroit, Fisher said. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is looking into those connections and they hope to make more arrests soon, he said.
Fisher, along with Matthew Mangino, county district attorney, and New Castle Police Chief Victor Cubellis spoke at press conference in front of a poster board with pictures of those arrested and explaining their connections in the drug ring.
Fisher said that through the use of confidential police informants and a court-approved wiretap on Johnson's cellular telephone, they were able to file the charges.
All but three of the suspects were arrested Monday morning and arraigned by Amodie. Police said they were still searching for two people, and Ben David Tolbert, 34, who is in state prison, will be arraigned sometime this week. Tolbert is charged with delivery of cocaine.
Bond was set at $15,000 each for the others, Amodie said.
Arrests included Johnson's wife, Tabitha Johnson, 35, Ridge Street, and Theresa Wright, 28, of Beech Street, identified as Johnson's girlfriend, Fisher said. Each face a charge of criminal use of a communication facility and criminal conspiracy.
Court documents said both women knew about Johnson's drug trafficking and telephoned him several times about drug deals in October 2001 while police were listening to his calls.
Other conversations: Investigators also taped conversations between Johnson and Juan Marcus Searcy, 20, of West Washington Street. The two men talked about drug buys. Searcy also is accused of selling suspected cocaine to two different police informants, court records said.
He faces charges of delivery of cocaine, criminal conspiracy to deliver cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility.
Anthony Moss Sr., 33, of Locust Street faces charges of delivery of cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility. Court records said he sold suspected cocaine to a confidential police informant twice.
Police said the others charged called Johnson about drug buys while police were tapping Johnson's telephone.
Each of these people face charges of criminal facilitation of a communication device -- Michelle Keys, 32, of Sankey Street; Robert John Sullivan, 43, of Smithfield Street; Scott A. King, 35, of Boyle Avenue; and Tamesha Jackson, 24, of Pin Oak Drive.
Police said most of these taped conversations from the wiretap were less than two minutes long and all were identified through voice-recognition, self-identification or identification by one of the other speakers.
The arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown on drugs in the county with investigations by multiple county police departments, the district attorney's drug task force and the state.
A total of 50 people have been arrested on drug-related charges since mid-December, Mangino said.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/apr/02/new-castle-pa-investigation-nets-drug-ring/
Plea In Murder Case
Plea in murder case
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Dennis Reed, 30, accused of killing his estranged girlfriend, pleaded innocent to six charges when he was arraigned in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court on Thursday. Reed of New Castle could face the death penalty if convicted in the shotgun slaying of Wendy Miller. He faces charges of criminal homicide, kidnapping, criminal attempt at burglary, simple assault, unlawful restraint and a charge prohibiting a felon to carry a gun. Miller, 28, of Sankey Street was found dead Dec. 23 in a wooded area off Neshannock Boulevard in New Castle. Reed was arrested the day before in Butler, Pa., where he was found with three of Miller's four children. Miller and the children had been reported missing about a week earlier.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/mar/07/plea-in-murder-case/
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Dennis Reed, 30, accused of killing his estranged girlfriend, pleaded innocent to six charges when he was arraigned in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court on Thursday. Reed of New Castle could face the death penalty if convicted in the shotgun slaying of Wendy Miller. He faces charges of criminal homicide, kidnapping, criminal attempt at burglary, simple assault, unlawful restraint and a charge prohibiting a felon to carry a gun. Miller, 28, of Sankey Street was found dead Dec. 23 in a wooded area off Neshannock Boulevard in New Castle. Reed was arrested the day before in Butler, Pa., where he was found with three of Miller's four children. Miller and the children had been reported missing about a week earlier.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/mar/07/plea-in-murder-case/
Violation of Federal Drug Laws
PITTSBURGH -- A New Castle man was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on a conviction of violating federal drug laws. Michael A. Waters, 31, of Blaine Street was accused, along with five other people, of trying to import about 11 pounds of cocaine to the United States. According to federal officials, Waters recruited a number of people to act as drug couriers. The couriers would travel to the Caribbean island nation of Aruba to obtain the cocaine and then tape it to their bodies and return to the United States on commercial airlines, they said. The conspiracy unraveled Nov. 2, 2000, when members of the Aruban National Police Force seized about 8 pounds of cocaine from Waters' couriers, federal officials said.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/
Ex-worker accused of taking cash
Ex-worker accusedof taking cash
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A former New Castle Sanitation Authority worker is accused of taking $1,532.36 in cash while she worked for the authority.
Deanna Christofer Jacobs, 55, of New Castle, faces charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and misapplication of entrusted property of government or financial institutions.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Janice Wilson said the sanitation authority regularly writes off bills for vacant homes, often rentals without tenants or people who spend an extended time away from their homes.
An audit of the authority records revealed that cash payments were made at the authority office and stamped as paid, but later written off as vacant properties that went unpaid during the period May 1999 to October 2000, Wilson said. Wilson said Jacobs, who is the sister of sanitation authority director Richard Christofer, a former mayor of New Castle, worked as a clerk in the authority office at 110 E. Washington St.
Charges were filed Tuesday at District Justice Melissa Amodie's office. A preliminary hearing is set for March 1.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A former New Castle Sanitation Authority worker is accused of taking $1,532.36 in cash while she worked for the authority.
Deanna Christofer Jacobs, 55, of New Castle, faces charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and misapplication of entrusted property of government or financial institutions.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Janice Wilson said the sanitation authority regularly writes off bills for vacant homes, often rentals without tenants or people who spend an extended time away from their homes.
An audit of the authority records revealed that cash payments were made at the authority office and stamped as paid, but later written off as vacant properties that went unpaid during the period May 1999 to October 2000, Wilson said. Wilson said Jacobs, who is the sister of sanitation authority director Richard Christofer, a former mayor of New Castle, worked as a clerk in the authority office at 110 E. Washington St.
Charges were filed Tuesday at District Justice Melissa Amodie's office. A preliminary hearing is set for March 1.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/