PITTSBURGH Eight indicted in drug scheme by federal jury

Federal officials plan to go after money, property and cars owned by the people indicted.
PITTSBURGH -- A federal grand jury indicted eight people on charges in a conspiracy to violate federal drug laws and launder money.
A two-count indictment released Thursday names five New Castle residents, a Cleveland woman and a Masury, Ohio, man. It's unclear where another man lives because he is in Allegheny County Jail on unrelated charges.
Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, with the help of police from New Castle and Shenango Township, made several arrests early Thursday morning in New Castle.
Other arrests were made in Youngstown and Buffalo, N.Y., according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Pickering.
Suspects: According to Pickering, three of those indicted and arrested Thursday -- Bruce McKnight, 34, of Richelieu Avenue; Demetris McKnight, 25, of Florence Avenue; and Christopher D. Smith, 27, of Cunningham Avenue, all of New Castle -- are expected to appear at a detention hearing at 11 a.m. today before U.S. Magistrate Francis Caiazza in Pittsburgh.
Bruce McKnight's wife, Jada, was killed last year in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting outside their home at 414 Young Street. McKnight announced in November 2000 that he was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her killing.
Others named in the indictment are Roy Mercer, 45, who is incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail; Inez Mercer Lindsay, 48, of Raymond Street, New Castle; LaShawna L. Smith, 29, of West 105th Street, Cleveland; Terrance Tarver, 28, of Thompson-Sharpsville Road, Masury, Ohio; and Jada Taylor, 30, of Halco Drive, New Castle.
According to the federal indictment, between 1994 and 1999 all eight people conspired to distribute in excess of 11 pounds of cocaine and in excess of 1.8 ounces of crack cocaine.
Federal officials said Demetris McKnight and Christopher Smith are also charged with conspiracy to launder money between 1998 and 1999 in the purchase of vehicles.
The indictment states that federal officials plan to go after property, vehicles and money owned by the eight people arrested Thursday.
Pickering said Tarver was arrested in Youngstown and LaShawna Smith was picked up in Buffalo, N.Y. She did not know if both were still in jail or released on bond.