Officials indict 23 on drug-ring charges

Tony McKnight was characterized as the ring leader.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Authorities say they shut down a drug operation that was distributing more than $250,000 worth of cocaine annually into New Castle and Lawrence County.
Gerald Pappert, Pennsylvania's acting attorney general, announced charges against 23 people Tuesday. Matthew Mangino, Lawrence County's district attorney, said five other people were also arrested Tuesday on unrelated drug charges.
Pappert said they continue to investigate the source of the cocaine, which he believes came from Youngstown and Detroit. One Youngstown man, Norman Carter III, 31, of Wardle Avenue is among those charged.
Authorities have characterized Tony L. McKnight, 38, no known address, as the ringleader. Court papers from a state grand jury investigation revealed that McKnight testified before the grand jury after investigators said they found he was selling large amounts of cocaine in New Castle. Pappert said no deals were made with McKnight in exchange for his testimony.
Indictments
Pappert said the grand jury identified those who bought cocaine regularly from McKnight as Randy Bross, 44, of Volant; Cory Mulig, 19, of Bessemer; and Jeffrey Crivelli, 42, Michael Dando, 34, Albert Jackson, 45, Thomas Jones, 44, Edward Reynolds, 54, Lee Vernino, 40, and David Querreira Jr., 42, all of New Castle.
Authorities say McKnight sold the drugs in varying amounts at prices ranging from $20 to $80. Court papers said most of those arrested bought the drugs for their personal use and not to be resold for profit.
Pappert said the grand jury found that Mulig allowed McKnight to cook crack cocaine in her apartment as many as five times per week between September and December 2002. Pappert explained that crack cocaine is derived from powder cocaine in a process that drug dealers call cooking.
Pappert said the grand jury found McKnight usually cooked between a half-ounce to an ounce in Mulig's apartment. In exchange for using the residence, the grand jury found that McKnight regularly supplied Mulig with a half-gram -- 0.018 ounce -- of powder cocaine.
Alleged to be drivers
The grand jury found that Lisa Mars, 21, of New Castle, with whom McKnight had a romantic relationship, drove McKnight to drug deals on at least five occasions.
The grand jury also found that Bernice Clyburn, 47, of New Castle, drove McKnight to various drug deals and he paid her with crack.
Pappert said McKnight used various suppliers. They found that from September through December 2002, McKnight bought his cocaine from Kevin Moore, no age or address available. The grand jury also believes McKnight was supplied cocaine by Lance Harrison, 26, of New Castle from October through November 2002.
The grand jury found that Mary Shoaff, 52, of New Castle was one of McKnight's main customers. From January 2002 to December 2002, McKnight went to Shoaff's house five times a week to sell coke to various people. The grand jury also found that McKnight supplied coke to Shoaff.
Pappert said the grand jury also found that Shoaff obtained coke from Norman Carter III, who was described to the grand jury as a major cocaine distributor in New Castle.
Pappert said that during the investigation, undercover agents made four buys of the drug from Carter.
OxyContin
The grand jury found that McKnight was also illegally distributing the prescription painkiller OxyContin from May through December 2002, Pappert said.
McKnight supplied Melissa Houston, 19, of New Castle, with OxyContin pills, and she, in turn, sold them to Justin Palkovich of New Castle and others, authorities said. The grand jury also found that McKnight supplied OxyContin to David Yerage, 47, of New Castle, who paid McKnight for the pills with clothing that McKnight believed Yerage had shoplifted.
The grand jury also found that McKnight supplied his sports bookie, Shawn Quinn, 39, of New Castle with crack.
District Attorney Mangino said arrest warrants were also issued for the following New Castle residents: Stacy Damerosi, 21, of North Mercer Street; John Carson, 26, of North Jefferson Street; Donald Chiarini, 45, of Harrison Street; Robert Hoon, no age given, of Raymond Street; and Edwin S. Lewis, no age given, of Chestnut Street. Drug-related charges were filed.
District Justice Melissa Amodie said that by noon Tuesday, 13 people had been preliminarily arraigned by her office. She set bail amounts at $10,000, $15,000 and $25,000. Preliminary hearings are planned for next Wednesday and April 1 in Lawrence County Central Court, she said.


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