Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi has announced the apprehension of ten people as part of a joint drug investigation.
Manzi said that the DA’s Drug Task Force, Police in Indiana and Clymer Boroughs, State Police, Indiana County Sheriff’s office, the county’s probation office and the state attorney general’s office took part in what was called “Operation Strikeout” on Thursday. Teams were deployed to make arrests “in a manner that provided for the safety of the Officers, the community and the defendants.” Nine people were apprehended yesterday. Those people were Michael Brown, Misti Durante, Melissa Frain, Frank Gardner, Brandon Mastrone, Domenick Triffanoff and Ashley Weston of Indiana along with Kimberly Caylor of Creekside. A 10th person, Daryl Higgins of Indiana, was also charged yesterday. He is currently in a state correctional institution. All have been charged with possession with intent to deliver various drugs, including cocaine, meth, fentanyl and heroin.
Six people remain at large as part of this sweep. Those people are David Williams, James Valenti, Jr, and Nicholas Murphy of Indiana, Lawrence Westbrook of Josephine, Raymond Farrone of Pittsburgh, and Randy Bertuzzi of Clymer. They are also charged with possession with intent to deliver.
In a statement, Manzi said that drug dealers that “prey on those individuals battling substance abuse disorders to make a quick buck will only stop when they are behind bars.” He also commended the work by the combined forces for their work over the last three years to focus on “larger scale drug dealers with the goal of lengthy prison sentences.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of those who remain at large are encouraged to call 911.
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