A man accused of selling drugs out of a Belle Vernon business has been arrested.
Police say Melvin Payne was taken into custody, without incident, at the Cricket Wireless store in Tri County Plaza.
Officials believe he was selling narcotics during work hours.
Police seized 30 bricks of heroin, over 63 grams of cocaine, over 47 grams of crack cocaine, two pounds of marijuana, THC edibles, over 20 Ecstasy tablets and over $10,000 in cash.
Payne is charged with two counts of delivery of controlled substance, 2 counts of possession with intent to deliver, two counts of possession of controlled substance and unlawful use of a communication facility.
“This significant arrest is critical to not only keeping our communities safe, but this makes a dent in the drug epidemic inflicting pain on so many families,” said Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. “I am incredibly thankful for the collaborative effort among our drug task force, and the police departments in Allegheny County who assisted in this investigation. We will continue to aggressively prosecute offenders who choose to distribute drugs into our neighborhoods, and we will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Thanks to the hard work of our team and our partners in Westmoreland County, a dangerous drug dealer is off the streets,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “This individual profited pushing dangerous poisons into our communities and devastating families. Today's arrest marks a continued effort to get these drugs out of our neighborhoods and keep Pennsylvanians safe.”