2 Men Arrested, Accused Of Selling Meth In Vandergrift
WESTMORELAND COUNTY (KDKA) -- Two men were arrested Saturday for running an alleged drug distribution center out of a house in Vandergrift.
Police arrested 42-year-old Michael Medina from the state of Indiana and 32-year-old Paul Connor from Texas. Both face multiple drug-related charges, including possession with intent to deliver.
Police say they began an investigation into the two men in November 2015 on the suspicion that they were possibly running a meth lab. The investigation was started after neighbors reported their concerns about unusual activity to police shortly after the two men began operating out of the house in the 500-block of Burns Street.
"I've been worried about it since they moved in the place," neighbor Ryan Richardson told KDKA. "They've only been here probably about a month, and it's like Grand Central Station over there – cars coming and going constantly. Just all the tell-tale signs of something rotten happening."
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During the investigation, police say they noticed a pattern of shipments and vehicles going to and from the house, and they learned of a shipment possibly containing crystal meth arriving Saturday.
Police say around 10 a.m., they went to the Vandergrift Post Office with a search warrant and obtained the package, which did test positive for crystal meth. Officers then obtained another search warrant for the house, where they found drug paraphernalia and packing materials. The two men were not operating a meth lab, as originally suspected, but police did determine that it was a distribution point.
Vandergrift Police patrol officer Joe Gray credited the neighbors as a major source of assistance throughout the investigation.
"If it weren't for the neighbors, we wouldn't have been as productive with this because they were literally our eyes, ears and everything that we needed," Gray told KDKA. "And we worked very, very well with the neighborhood."
