PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh police on Tuesday raided a Market Square vape store and two other businesses in the city for operating as fronts for selling marijuana and other illegal cannabis products.
A smoke shop owner and an employee wanted by the state of Florida on suspicion of murder have been arrested, police said.
District Attorney Steven Zapala said at a press conference that they are all part of a criminal organization run by foreign nationals and are currently under arrest.
Early Tuesday morning, city agents and narcotics detectives raided Smoking Stars Smoke Shop in Market Square and simultaneously executed warrants at two other locations, seizing a large amount of illegal drugs.
“Approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, several thousand dollars in edibles and e-cigarettes. The cash at the time was approximately $10,000,” Zappala said.
Police conducted a sting operation after merchants complained about drug sales and prostitution in shops and buildings. Zappala said the smoking area and the floor above served as the headquarters for a criminal organization run by foreigners.
Those arrested include 38-year-old Sherry Dewberry, a foreign national of unknown origin. According to the criminal complaint, Dewberry sold a marijuana blunt to an undercover police officer.
While searching the store, police announced they arrested Danit Simpson, who was wanted on a murder warrant and another warrant for aggravated assault of a pregnant woman in Daytona Beach, Florida. Police said Simpson was a Jamaican citizen living in the smoke shop and living in the United States on an expired visa.
Zappala said he will file a motion to have the building forfeited.
“These are all interconnected,” he said. “This is a criminal organization. So, my men, some of them are here today and they're creating this file. They're tasked with taking this building. If I can take a building, I'm going to take a building.'' Part of an organized crime syndicate. ”
And Zappala said police will execute more warrants and make more arrests at other illegally operating vape shops.
“When you come here as a tourist or a visitor to Pittsburgh and you see this nonsense, it's obviously not good for anyone in Pittsburgh, but it's not good for the people who make a living here or who don't make a living here.” It's certainly not good for the people who are trying to do it,''' Zappala said.
