NEW CASTLE, Pa. -  Federal authorities unveiled information Thursday about the roundup of drug suspects in Mercer and Lawrence Counties.

Agents began the process of rounding up 25 people in Mercer in Lawrence Counties wanted on drug charges.

The suspects were named in two separate but related, Indictments for trafficking multiple drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

The arrests follow a year-long investigation into drug trafficking in Western Pennsylvania.

"We've now taken alleged drug dealers off the streets," FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall said, "We know many times where there are drugs, there's also violence. So now there are fewer individuals on the streets to commit an act of violence or deal drugs that could result in overdose or even death."

The Department of Justice said these individuals "peddled dozens of kilos" of deadly drugs including heroin, meth, fentanyl and cocaine.

"Mercer County is, unfortunately, being overrun by drug dealers and drugs," Mercer County District Attorney Pete Acker said. 

Officials say tips led to court-authorized cell phone wiretapping leading to a series of drug busts.

The first indictment names the following individuals as defendants:

  • London Pinkins, age 26, of Sharon, Pennsylvania;
  • Jimmy Gadson, age 34, of Sharon, Pennsylvania;
  • Harold Hooten, age 44, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania;
  • Torlando Hopson, age 32, of Farrell, Pennsylvania;
  • Alphonse Johnson, age 39, currently incarcerated;
  • Amanda Karwowski, age 29, of Grove City, Pennsylvania, currently incarcerated;
  • Michael Love, age 43, of Jackson Center, Pennsylvania;
  • Katlyn McGirr, age 29, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania;
  • Kenneth Miller, age 59, of Farrell, Pennsylvania;
  • Nicholas Ostheimer, age 23, of Sharon, Pennsylvania;
  • Eugene Phillips, age 29, of Farrell, Pennsylvania, currently incarcerated;
  • Quinton Pinkins, age 36, of Farrell, Pennsylvania;
  • Joseph Pumphrey, age 62, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania;
  • Courtney Purdy, age 30, of Mercer, Pennsylvania;
  • Jeronte Robinson, age 26, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania;
  • Jammar Shelton, age 42, of Masury, Ohio;
  • James West, age 45, of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania;
  • Khiry Whiteside, age 30, of Farrell, Pennsylvania;
  • Denzel Williams, age 27, of Farrell, Pennsylvania;
  • Jermall Johnson, age 24, of Erie, Pennsylvania;
  • Jackie Bell, age 29, of Columbus, Ohio; and
  • Albert Cummings, age 41, of Cleveland, Ohio.

All of the 22 defendants are charged in Count 1 with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of methamphetamine from June 2020 to June 2021.

Count 2 charges London Pinkins and Phillips with conspiring to launder drug trafficking proceeds from February 2021 to June 2021. Counts 3 (Williams), 17 (Alphonse Johnson), 23 (Karwowski), and 24 (London Pinkins) charge several defendants with possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a quantity of cocaine, and/or a quantity of methamphetamine.

Counts 4 (Ostheimer), 6-8 (Ostheimer and Gadson), 14 (Cummings), 15 (Gadson), 19-22 (West, Gadson, Shelton, and London Pinkins), and 25-28 (Purdy and Quinton Pinkins) charge several defendants with possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of a quantity of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base, and/or cocaine within 1,000 feet of a playground, school, and public housing.

Counts 5 (Ostheimer), 9-13 (London Pinkins, Gadson, Bell, McGirr), 16 (Gadson), and 18 (Williams) charge several defendants with possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of a quantity of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base, cocaine, and/or methamphetamine.

The second indictment names the following individuals as defendants:

  • Forrest Gilmore, age 25, of New Castle, Pennsylvania;
  • Melvin Dorsey-Pace, age 28, of New Castle, Pennsylvania; and
  • Rayjzon Sams, 28, age of Farrell, Pennsylvania.

Two suspects from both indictments, Jermall Johnson and Forest Gilmore are still wanted by authorities.

The seven-count Indictment charges the defendants in Count 1 with conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of cocaine from June 2020 to June 2021.

Counts 2 (Gilmore), 4 (Dorsey-Pace), 5 (Sams), and 7 (Sams) charge possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a playground, school, and public housing.

Count 3 charges Gilmore with possessing with intent to distribute and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base on September 17, 2020. Count 6 charges Sams with possessing with intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine on April 18, 2021.

“These defendants stand accused of trafficking multiple potentially deadly street drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Their alleged drug-trafficking activities included the distribution of crack cocaine in the vicinity of protected areas such as playgrounds, schools, and public housing facilities” said Jonathan A. Wilson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “These indictments reflect the collective efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement working together to disrupt drug-traffickers that seek to poison and destroy our communities.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations led the investigation.