Man faces trafficking charges

The defendant is already on parole for drug offenses.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Authorities say the arrest of a Lawrence County man on federal drug charges will put a dent in the local crack cocaine trade.
Dion Mercer, 37, of 606 Raymond Ave., is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute in excess of 11 pounds of cocaine and in excess of 1.76 ounces of cocaine base, in a form commonly known as crack.
"With the arrest of Dion Mercer, we have disrupted a major drug trafficking organization that has been distributing significant quantities of illegal substances in Lawrence County over the last several years," United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said.
"As this investigation demonstrates, cooperation is an effective tool that we can use to dismantle drug networks and restore safety to our neighborhoods."
According to Buchanan, the criminal complaint states that from 2002 to the present, confidential sources bought powder and crack cocaine from Mercer.
Mercer was previously convicted of drug trafficking charges in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is currently on federal supervised release as well as state parole for state drug charges.
He was arrested Monday by DEA and city police officers at his home. He will appear in federal court in Pittsburgh at 10:30 a.m. Monday for his preliminary hearing.