Pa. music church says drug raid was malicious

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The attorney for a man who claims to run a western Pennsylvania church for lovers of jam band music says a weekend drug raid is a “malicious prosecution.”

Atty. Greg Koerner also says the raid at the Church of Universal Love and Music violates a March settlement of the church’s religious freedom lawsuit against Fayette County.

Church founder William Pritts sued in 2006 after the county refused to grant him a religious use exception for the shows.

But District Attorney Nancy Vernon says Saturday’s raid was simply a bust at a concert venue where drugs were sold and used openly. Her office got a search warrant based on information gathered at two prior concerts in May and July on Pritts’ farm land about 35 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Pritts isn’t charged, but 23 people were arrested on drug or paraphernalia charges.