ALTOONA — Four individuals have been arrested after a police investigation led to the discovery of drugs being trafficked from a residence on Fifth Avenue.
Altoona and Pennsylvania state police had been surveilling the area near 40th Street and Fifth Avenue when they identified a home in the 4000 block as the source of narcotics activity, according to a statement from the Altoona Police Department.
When officers executed a search warrant on Friday, they saw a man flee the second floor of the home. He was quickly apprehended and identified as Amir Carter, 20, of Philadelphia. Inside the home, police detained Joseph Michael Lojeski, 43, of Altoona, and Eric Lamont Eberhart, 24, also of Philadelphia.
The search yielded a large quantity of illegal substances, including 16 bricks of heroin, 20 grams of crack cocaine, and 78 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, with an estimated street value of $11,700, along with $2,010 in cash.
During the raid, Heather Joy McConahay, 37, of Altoona, returned to the residence and was also detained.
Carter and Eberhart were arraigned Saturday by Magisterial District Judge Matthew Dunio. They face three felony counts of possession with intent to deliver, four misdemeanor possession charges, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Carter also faces a charge of evading arrest. Both are being held at Blair County Prison on $400,000 bail.
Lojeski and McConahay were arraigned Monday by Judge Benjamin F. Jones. They face three felony counts of conspiracy possession with intent to deliver, and misdemeanor charges for possession and paraphernalia. Lojeski was released on $75,000 unsecured bail, while McConahay remains in custody.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for June 25, with Carter, Lojeski, and McConahay appearing before Judge Jones and Eberhart before Judge Dunio.
