Defendants Arrested in Cranberry Drug Sweep to Stand Trial

Several people charged in a Butler County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force will stand trial on drug charges.

Eric Joseph Avondo, 44, of Knollwood Drive, Allison Park, Michael Scott Russi, 26, of West Circle Drive, Harmony, and Devin Finley, 22, of Terrace Drive, McCandless, will be formally arraigned Sept. 2 in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas.

The defendants waived their July 27 preliminary hearings before in Cranberry. The drug sweep, which began at 6 a.m. June 27 and involved officers from Cranberry, Adams and Jackson townships and Zelienople borough, targeted drug dealers in and around the Cranberry Township area, according to

• Avondo was charged with possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
• Russi was charged with four counts of drug possession with intent to deliver, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
• Finley was charged with four counts of drug possession with intent to deliver and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

According to court documents, Avondo sold 6.7 grams of cocaine worth $425 to a confidential informant working with Cranberry police on June 21, 2010. The transaction took place in a driveway outside a home in Middlesex Township.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Adams Township police, Russi sent a series of text messages concerning a drug transaction to a confidential informant working with investigators. On Oct. 6, 2011, Russi met with the informant in the parking lot of the and sold him 21.2 grams of marijuana worth $305, the complaint said.

Russi met with the informant in the Walmart parking lot again on Dec. 13 and sold him 26.9 grams of marijuana worth $325, the complaint said.

According to court documents, Finley sold six grams of marijuana worth $120 to an undercover agent working with police on Aug. 4, 2011. On Sept. 6, Finley sold 12.9 grams of high-grade marijuana worth $230 to an informant near the Cranberry Mall, according to a criminal complaint filed by Cranberry police. Finley also sent a series a texts and phone calls to the informant mapping out both drug deals, the complaint said.

Preliminary hearing for others arrested in the drug sweep are scheduled for later in August, in September and in November before Kovach.

The following people were charged and waived their scheduled July 27 preliminary hearings before

Garrett T. Crocker, 28, of Babcock Boulevard, Gibsonia, was charged with retail theft, receiving stolen property and criminal attempt at retail theft.

Cranberry police report they were called to the Walmart on Route 19 at about 4:20 p.m. July 4 for a retail theft in progress.

According to the criminal complaint, Crocker attempted to leave the store with two Vizio flat panel televisions he did not pay for. When two Walmart employees confronted him in the parking lot, Crocker ran, the complaint said. After a search of the area, Crocker was found behind the Walmart.

According to the criminal complaint, the value of the items was $876.

DUI

• Samuel Adam Magiske, 22, of Garvin Road, Cranberry, was charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence at the highest rate of alcohol and accidental damage to unattended property. According to the criminal complaint filed by Cranberry police, the car Magiske was driving struck the building on Route 19 in Cranberry at about 2:15 a.m. June 2. Magiske drove out of the parking lot after hitting the building, the complaint said. The rear bumper of the car was hanging to the ground. According to the criminal complaint, Magiske’s blood-alcohol level was 0.187 percent, exceeding the state’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.
• Eric Piotrowski, 27, of Sunset Circle, Cranberry, was charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence at the highest rate of alcohol and careless driving. According to the criminal complaint filed by Cranberry police, an officer was investigating a separate incident in the Sunset Circle neighborhood when Piotrowski drove by the officer at a high rate of speed and yelled something at him. About 10 minutes later, the same vehicle passed the officer at another location in the neighborhood. Piotrowski again yelled at the officer, the complaint said. Using the license number plate of the car Piotrowski was driving, police traced his address to Sunset Circle. According to the criminal complaint, Piotrowski’s blood-alcohol level was 0.132 percent, exceeding the state’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.