PITTSBURGH,None — A day after state agents charged 21 people in a $4 million Pittsburgh-area cocaine ring with links to Texas and Georgia, federal prosecutors were rounding up 42 suspects in four related drug indictments.
Federal prosecutors won't say what led to Wednesday's indictments, but U.S. Attorney David Hickton said they targeted violent drug-dealing suspects in an investigation that began in the suburb of Clairton in November 2009. Ten of the federal suspects were already incarcerated and 250 law enforcement officers were rounding up the other 32, including one from Lawrenceville, Ga.
On Tuesday, a state grand jury recommended charges against 21 people who allegedly used Greyhound buses to ferry cocaine into western Pennsylvania from Atlanta, sometimes by way of Dallas.
The state and federal investigations are related, but authorities aren't saying how.
Tuesday's arrests stemmed from an investigation that began in January 2010 and focused on the alleged drug dealing of Vaughn James and Arthur Brown in western Pennsylvania, Attorney General Tom Corbett said.
PHOTOS: Drug Ring Suspects
According to the grand jury, James was a local distributor capable of purchasing, processing and re-selling large quantities of cocaine, while Brown was identified as an interstate drug courier and distributor.
During the investigation, agents identified Arthur Gilbert, of Atlanta, and Dietrick Bostick, of Monroeville, as James and Brown's main suppliers.
The grand jury found that Gilbert used Brown to transport drug proceeds from Pittsburgh to Atlanta or Dallas and to transport large amounts of cocaine to Pittsburgh on Greyhound buses.
Corbett said that once the cocaine was in Pittsburgh, it was stored at Bostick's Monroeville residence. Gilbert is accused of then directing how and when the drugs would be delivered to James and other associates.
Agents estimate that from at least 2008 through August 2010, Bostick received between 10 and 20 kilos of cocaine every two weeks from Gilbert.
Corbett said that as the investigation unfolded, wiretaps were used to help identify other distributors and suppliers.
According to the grand jury, James sold cocaine on the streets of Allegheny County and paid his supplier between $34,000 and $34,500 per kilogram of cocaine.
Between February and July 2010 agents arranged 11 controlled purchases for more than 400 grams of cocaine.
On Aug. 14, agents raided James' home and seized about 1 kilo of cocaine, which they said was being cooked in the kitchen. Also seized were scales, cooking paraphernalia, about two pounds of marijuana, $7,200 cash and four handgun.
Meanwhile, police in Pittsburgh said another drug bust in several Mon Valley communities on Tuesday is related to the Attorney General's drug bust.
Reporter Rick Earle, of Channel 2's sister station WPXI-TV reports that the two started as separate drug investigations, but police said they later discovered that both were connected.
Police said the investigation started last year after police in Clairton asked the Allegheny County Sheriff's department for help.
Investigators said the people involved used Greyhound buses to distribute more than $4 million worth of cocaine to the Pittsburgh area.
"We were able to remove several medium to high level drug dealers out of the community. That should help us take those higher level drugs dealers off the streets for a while," said Joe Giles.
Police said they were searching the streets of Duquesne, McKeesport and other nearby communities for 43 suspects involved in the drug operation. By early Tuesday afternoon, police arrested 25.
Below is a complete list of the defendants and the charges against them:
--Vaughn James, 26, East McKeesport, Allegheny County, is charged with 13 counts of delivery of cocaine, heroin and/or marijuana, eight counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, heroin and/or marijuana, four counts of violations of the uniform firearms act, two counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Arthur Brown, 45, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with six counts of delivery of cocaine, four counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and one count of corrupt organizations.
--Arthur Gilbert, also known as Abdul Kareem Ali, 41, Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with two counts each of corrupt organizations and delivery of cocaine.
--Christian Bey, 22, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with six counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Aaron Griffith, 20, North Versailles, Allegheny County, is charged with seven counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Damien Higginbotham, 21, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with three counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, heroin and marijuana, two counts of violations of the uniform firearms act, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of receiving stolen property, one count of aggravated assault and one count of fleeing and eluding.
--Carols James, 28, Penn Hills, Allegheny County, is charged with four counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations, two counts of delivery of cocaine and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Jolynn Kinkella, 23, Export, Westmoreland County, is charged with three counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Lorail Knight, 47, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy and possession with the intent to deliver cocaine.
--Felicia Lunsford, 23, East McKeesport, Allegheny County, is charged with seven counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine.
--Howard McFadden, 21, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with four counts of violations of the uniform firearms act, three counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Charles Nevels, 38, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with seven counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Andre Nunley, 37, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy and delivery of cocaine.
--Marcel Sewell, 50, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with six counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Shawn Sewell, 32, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with five counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--Ajani Munsho Uche Uhuru, 42, Sunbury, Northumberland County, is charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy and possession with the intent to deliver cocaine.
--Joanna Washington, 49, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with eight counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine.
--Marvin White, 42, Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and delivery of cocaine.
--Darson Williams, 63, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine and delivery of cocaine.
--Derelle Williams, 22, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with six counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.
--James Williams, 35, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is charged with three counts of possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, three counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count of criminal conspiracy.