19 Charged in Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

PITTSBURGH – Eighteen residents of Pittsburgh or the surrounding area and a Philadelphia man have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today. The indictment follows an eight-month wiretap investigation into heroin trafficking from Philadelphia to the Pittsburgh-area for further distribution.

The one-count Indictment, returned on October 22 and unsealed yesterday, named:

Trevon Kendrick, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Sean McHenry, 38, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Carlos Regalado, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

Joseph McHenry, 38, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania;

Donald Lyles, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Geron Anderson, 24, currently incarcerated;

Alaric Craig, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Andrew Carswell, 28, of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania;

William Patterson, 44, of Carnegie, Pennsylvania;

Doron McCarthy, 28, currently incarcerated;

Jorge Rivera-Gonzalez, 40, of Pitcairn, Pennsylvania;

Lonnie Vixman, 45, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Corey Barlow, 22, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Brian Scritchfield, 30, no valid address;

Michael Skarada, 38, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Leigh Fiumara, 43, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Chastity Buchko, 26, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;

Jennifer Blumling, 32, of Pitcairn, Pennsylvania; and

John Vennare, 44, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as defendants.

According to the Indictment, from in and around January of 2018, and continuing thereafter to in and around October 2019, the defendants conspired with each other to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

A federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. The task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is comprised of members drawn from Homeland Security Investigations, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Office of the Attorney General, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office, the North Versailles Police Department, the Allegheny County Port Authority Police Department, the Munhall Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.