Charleroi police make drug arrests
A three-month investigation by Charleroi Regional police into suspected heroin sales in and around a Fallowfield Avenue bar ended Tuesday night with the arrests of three people, including the bartender.
Police also obtained a warrant for a fourth person.
Laurel Ann McFeely, 41, of 400 Washington Ave., Charleroi; Steven DeVaughn Burrow, 25, of Clairton, and Lang Alan Woytovich, 25, of 115 Meadow Ave., Charleroi, were taken into custody. Police secured a warrant for Brandy Leigh Bujanowski, 20, also of 400 Washington Ave., on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin and possession of paraphernalia. Police Chief Eric Porter identified her as McFeely’s daughter.
Porter said the investigation focused on suspected drug activity at the Myford Hotel and Bar, 700 Fallowfield.
“We’ve always had problems there,” Porter said Wednesday. “We had the opportunity to get an officer in there in an undercover capacity and were successful.
“Now. we will work with the state Liquor Control Enforcement to get it closed,” he added.
Police said the undercover officer purchased various quantities of heroin from Burrow, also known as “Peanut,” on several occasions at the bar in June. McFeely, a bartender at Myford, allegedly allowed the officer and a confidential informant to use her cellphone to contact Burrow prior to the initial meeting with the suspected dealer. The officer and informant had planned to buy the drug from Bujanowski but were told she was not coming in that day. They allegedly had purchased heroin from Bujanowski earlier in June at the bar.
Earlier this month, the officer received several calls from a man he believed to be Burrow indicating that he had a new kind of heroin for sale and asked if the undercover officer was interested in purchasing it. Burrow also allegedly sent the officer a text message indicating it was “Peanut” and telling the officer to text that number when he was ready to make a purchase.
Police formulated a plan to purchase the heroin on July 12. Arrangements were made, and Burrow allegedly sent a text indicating that his runner would meet the officer for the buy. According to police, the officer then got a text from a man who identified himself as LA, asking what was needed. LA was identified by police as Woytovich. A meeting was arranged at the intersection of Sixth and Fallowfield, but the officer was told to walk toward the 500 block of Fallowfield, where police say he met Woytovich for the purchase.
All three were arraigned before District Judge James Ellis. Burrow is charged with three counts each of possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin and possession of paraphernalia. He was placed in Washington County Jail on $200,000 bond. Woytovich is charged with one count each of the same charges and was jailed on $50,000 bond. McFeely is charged with conspiracy to deliver heroin and furnishing alcohol to a minor for allegedly giving a drink with vodka in it to her daughter. She was jailed on $10,000 bond. All three have preliminary hearings scheduled for Aug. 11 before District Judge Larry Hopkins.
Anyone with information on Bujanowski’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or police at 724-483-8010.