Nearly 50K doses of fentanyl and heroin seized in Westmoreland County drug bust

Four men are facing serious charges after the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office with North Huntingdon police seized firearms and 47,000 doses of fentanyl and heroin off the streets.

Undercover officers swarmed a Monessen home on South 14th Street by Reservoir Avenue Thursday, executing a search warrant and ending a months-long investigation. There, they seized 382 grams of fentanyl and black tar heroin, along with a Glock handgun at the home of 34-year-old David Jeffries.

"This is one of the most important things that law enforcement does. It's a way that we can prevent overdoses and overdose deaths from occurring," AG Dave Sunday said.

Jeffries is one of four men the AG's office and North Huntingdon police charged with several serious felonies. He, 33-year-old James Womack, 41-year-old Andre Ellis-Barnes and 34-year-old Shelton Payne are facing charges, ranging from illegal possession of a firearm to drug-trafficking. Ellis-Barnes also faces a charge for allegedly selling drugs to an undercover officer. All four have prior felony convictions preventing them from possessing firearms.

"We're talking about thousands of hits of fentanyl in Western Pennsylvania that could have made its way to children, to people in addiction," Sunday said.

According to court records, the investigation began in February, when undercover officers learned narcotics were being trafficked between Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.

They started buying firearms from Womack through Ellis-Barnes, including an AR-15 with a suppressor, a Glock and a large quantity of fentanyl. Eventually, the officers purchased further quantities from Womack, leading them to learn Jeffries was a supplier, buying directly from him.

At one point, they met Payne, who sold them an AK-47. They then discovered Jeffries was storing further narcotics at his place on South 14th in Monessen and applied for a search warrant.

By the end of the months-long investigation, sources tell KDKA-TV they recovered six firearms, including two rifles, along with nearly 50,000 doses of fentanyl.

"Anytime we can impact the supply, it directly impacts public safety for the good," Sunday said.

Each suspect potentially faces more than 10 years in prison. Their preliminary hearings are set for the end of next week.