Monessen man charged with drug trafficking
A Monessen man is one of a dozen defendants from Allegheny, Lawrence and Westmoreland Counties charged with drug trafficking following a months-long wiretap investigation into narcotics trafficking in Pittsburgh and and the greater Allegheny County region, U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday.
The indictment is related to a larger investigation into the narcotics trafficking activities of the “11 Hunnit” neighborhood street gang operating in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh and beyond. A total of 22 defendants have been charged in four separate, but related, indictments stemming from this investigation.
“Every citizen in Western Pennsylvania deserves to live in a community free from the violence and devastation created by drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Brady. “For too long, the “11 Hunnit” gang has terrorized the law-abiding residents of the City of Pittsburgh and the Hill District. Through the four indictments of 22 members and associates of “11 Hunnit,” we have effectively dismantled this gang and its grip on our city.”
Michael Jones, 69, of 401 E. Schoonmaker Ave., is among those charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms grams or more of cocaine from November through June. The remaining defendants are from the Pittsburgh area.