Woman charged after children found in house with marijuana, guns
A Cranberry Township woman was charged after police said they found 85 marijuana plants and other drug paraphernalia in a home where she and two children often stayed.
There was not a room in the house on Dover Drive where illegal drugs or firearms were not being manufactured or stored, according to Butler County detectives.
Georgia L. Parish, 41, was charged Tuesday, July 18, with felony child endangerment and misdemeanor corruption of minors after officers with Butler County’s Drug Task Force raided the home.
Police executed a search warrant for the residence of Christopher D. Russo, 46, at 8 a.m. Friday morning.
Russo and Parish were discovered sleeping in the living room, along with two children, ages 6 and 9, according to charging documents.
Russo told police that the children slept in his home multiple times a week.
Police said that two bedrooms had been converted to grow marijuana and 85 plants were found.
Documents showed the search yielded molds for making marijuana pills, hypodermic needles, empty heroin bags, marijuana packaging and processing materials, THC oil and extract, and other small amounts of paraphernalia for crack cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
The 6-year-old child said a rifle was kept under the bed in the bedroom as officers were interviewing Russo, police said.
Officers described the semi-automatic rifle in the affidavit as appearing homemade.
Documents showed other homemade weapons were found in the home, including a .40 caliber pistol found in the kitchen and a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in a living room safe.
Other guns found in the home included a .40 caliber Beretta pistol under a pillow in the bedroom and another semi-automatic rifle.
Russo was charged with felonies drug sales and child endangerment and misdemeanors corruption of minors and use and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said he was taken into custody during the raid.
His preliminary hearing before District Judge Kevin Flaherty is scheduled July 28.
Parish’s preliminary hearing before Flaherty has not yet been scheduled.
