Presumed fentanyl seized at Pittsburgh Greyhound station was cutting agent, testing shows
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Test results from what was believed to be a massive fentanyl bust in Pittsburgh last year have determined that the presumed fentanyl was actually a cutting agent.
Yan Carlos Cepeda was arrested at the Greyhound bus station in Pittsburgh last fall and was accused of trafficking more than $1 million worth of fentanyl and cocaine into the area.
Now, the state's Attorney General's Office tells KDKA that subsequent testing of what was thought to be fentanyl showed it was actually a cutting agent, even though it was stamped and packaged as fentanyl and field-tested by agents.
Investigators say that Cepeda did, however, have more than a kilogram of confirmed cocaine in his possession.
Cepeda was released without cash bond by Magistrate Xander Orenstein, a move heavily criticized at the time by District Attorney Stephen Zappala. Cepeda never showed up in court and left the Pittsburgh area.
Just last week, Orenstein did the same for a local man, Hermas Craddock, who investigators say led state troopers on a chase through multiple counties. The DA's office tried to intervene and requested a bail review hearing, asking for a common pleas judge to review the magistrate's decision.
Zappala on Thursday said he thought the president judge "did take some action on that," but court administration says that's not the case, saying "no action" has been taken by the president judge regarding Orenstein. Zappala's office clarified that the DA was misinformed, and apologized for the confusion, but says Zappala remains concerned and stands by the rest of his statement, where he said, "just respectfully I don't think [Orenstein] understands [their] responsibilities of a judicial officer."
Orenstein has declined any requests for comment on these cases, but campaigned on no cash bail.
A spokesperson for the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said Cepeda was arrested in New York City on a sexual assault charge. He's expected to stand trial there in New York before being extradited to Allegheny County to face the charges related to the drug possession.
KDKA-TV asked Zappala if the discovery of the cutting agent would change the charges against Cepeda now that he's in custody again.
"No, the charges are very, very significant. It may be a matter that the federal government wants because they like to prosecute cocaine cases," Zappala said.
When it comes to when the discovery was made that it was cutting agent used in drug manufacturing and not fentanyl, Zappala said, "The attorney general's detectives, I think told us -- I can't remember. It was prior to the time he was arrested."
KDKA-TV reached out to the attorney general's office regarding Zappala's comment on the feds being interested in "cocaine cases." They said this is the district attorney's office's prosecution.
