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Task force raids home

Drugs found; 2 men arrested

BUTLER TWP — Two Allegheny County men are accused of selling heroin out of a house in the 200 block of Home Avenue.

Officers with the Butler County Drug Task Force and Butler Township police on Friday arrested the alleged dealers — 33-year-old Dontay S. Patterson and 34-year-old Woodrow L. Watkins IV.

The home’s residents — Jack F. Bollinger III, 45, and his girlfriend, Tammy Lou Palmeri, 40 — also face pending charges for allowing the purported dealers to set up shop at their house, said Butler County Detective Tim Fennell, who heads the task force.

The arrests followed an investigation that targeted suspected drug activity at the home.

“There were complaints from neighbors reporting a lot of traffic there,” Fennell said.

Officers got a search warrant for the house that they served at 6:30 a.m. Friday. Patterson and Watkins were at the house along with the residents.

The search turned up six stamp bags of suspected heroin, drug contraband and seven cell phones, according to court documents.

Additionally, officers found $1,890 in Watkins’ pants pocket and $954 in Patterson’s pants pocket. Patterson also was carrying a bag of suspected marijuana.

Later, Bollinger and Palmeri admitted they are heroin users, documents said, and they bought heroin and crack cocaine from Patterson and Watkins about six months ago.

“For approximately the last three months (the residents) have let Watkins and Patterson stay at the residence on occasions in exchange for several stamp bags of heroin each night,” a police affidavit said.

Bollinger and Palmeri also admitted they “middled” heroin deals for Patterson and Watkins so they could get heroin for free, Fennell said.

“They also stated that Watkins and Patterson had their own ‘customers’ coming to the house to purchase drugs,” the affidavit said.

Watkins and Patterson were arraigned on felony charges of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and misdemeanors charges of possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Patterson is in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail. Watkins is free on $50,000 bail.

Fennell said charges of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance are pending against Bollinger and Palmeri.

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