Five arrested for drugs following police raid
FRANKLIN TWP — Five people were arrested and a cache of drugs and currency seized along with two guns during a Thursday night raid by county narcotics officers at a mobile home in the township, authorities said.
Ten officers with the Butler County Drug Task Force and two troopers executed a search warrant about 9:10 p.m. at the trailer at the Village Park mobile home park on Birchwood Drive.
A flash-bang diversion device was used during the operation.
Arrested were Brittney R. Barilaro, 28, of Butler; Annmarie Bedner, 48, who lives at the home; Orlando J. Everett, 32, of Pittsburgh; Solomon Shackelford, 24, of Coraopolis, Allegheny County; and Darnell A. Williams, 24, of Pittsburgh.
All five defendants were arraigned on felony charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and conspiracy and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
They are being held in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bail each.
County Detective Tim Fennell, who heads the task force, described Everett, Shackelford and Williams as drug dealers.
“(Bedner) was enabling the dealers with the location,” he said, “and (Barilaro) was assisting in delivering (the drugs). She was 'the wheels.'”
The task force had reportedly been investigating suspected drug activity at the home for the past two weeks.
“We received complaints from neighbors, some intel, the usual build up,” Fennell said. “We believed (the defendants) were selling crack cocaine there.”
During the investigation, the task force conducted controlled drug buys Jan. 12 and Thursday at the home using a police informant, according to court documents. The informant on each occasion bought $100 worth of crack.
The task force obtained a search warrant following the second arranged drug deal.
Officers found all five defendants at the home when they served the “knock-and-announce” warrant that included the use of a flash-bang device.
Two other people inside also were arrested and later released after investigators determined they were “customers.”
The search turned up 12.68 grams, or 0.44 ounces, of suspected crack that was individually packaged. Officers also found one gram of suspected heroin.
Everett and Williams were carrying $2,368 and $654, respectively, documents said.
Included in Williams' currency was $90 from the official funds that the informant used to buy the crack earlier that day. Everett had $10 from the official funds.
Officers also seized two long guns during the search.
Fennell said he was pleased with the outcome.
“It takes a nuisance and danger out of a neighborhood,” he said. “That's what we want.”
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