Cocaine, fentanyl, guns, body armor found when cops raid New Kensington house; 2 people arrested
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Investigators say crack cocaine, fentanyl, guns, body armor and other evidence of a drug-dealing operation were discovered Wednesday when they raided a home in New Kensington.
Markus Jaquell Bryant, 28, and Khadijah Wright, 27, were taken into custody when officers from the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force and state narcotics agents executed a search warrant at their home in the 800 block of Kenneth Avenue, according to a criminal complaint.
According to their arrest papers, police broke through the front door of the house at 3:15 p.m. and began searching the rooms. A 16-year-old was found in the basement, police said.
Police said they arrested Bryant as he was coming out of a second-floor bathroom where they say they found two “bricks” of fentanyl along with more than an ounce each of crack and powder cocaine in the toilet.
Wright was found in the master bedroom along with most of the equipment and supplies used to package drugs for sale, the complaint said.
In addition to confiscating a little more than an ounce each of crack and powdered cocaine, investigators said they found:
• 14 bricks (700 packets) of fentanyl
• 46 fentanyl pills
• 3 ounces of marijuana
• six THC vape cartridges
Police also confiscated 5 ounces of an unknown white powder that showed the presence of fentanyl when it was field tested, the complaint said. The drugs were sent to a state police crime lab for analysis.
A loaded .380-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun, a .25-caliber Titan pistol along with Second Chance body armor, ammunition and magazines for several firearms were found in the house, the complaint said.
Police noted in Bryant’s arrest papers that he is not permitted to own a firearm or body armor because he was convicted of felony drug charges in April 2018.
Arnold police, who participated in the raid, charged Bryant with four felony counts of possession with the intent to deliver drugs and three counts of illegal possession of a firearm and body armor. He also faces eight misdemeanor charges of drug possession and tampering with evidence.
Bryant is being being detained in the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of a $75,000 cash bond, according to court records.
Wright faces four felony counts of possession with the intent to deliver drugs and five counts of misdemeanor drug possession. She is in the same jail after failing to post a $50,000 cash bond, court records show.
Bryant and Wright face preliminary hearings on the charges March 3 before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr.