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Drug raid nets 2 in Niles
BY Jordan Cohen
NILES
Police and the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force raided a Wood Avenue duplex Wednesday, arresting two occupants and seizing a sizable amount of heroin, cocaine and cash.
Police identified the pair as Joseph Hall, 39, Florida Avenue, Youngstown, and Lauren Prevec, 23, who listed the Wood Avenue home as her residence. Hall is charged with aggravated trafficking, tampering with evidence, permitting drug abuse and possession of criminal tools. Police Capt. Ken Criswell said Hall, who remains jailed, has a prior criminal record.
Prevec, charged with tampering with evidence, is free on bond. “She was trying to flush away the evidence when we got there,” Criswell said.
Criswell said the pair had been under surveillance for three months and that undercover officers made a series of drug buys from Hall.
Police said they recovered $14,000 in cash, 130 (units) of heroin valued at $5,000, and crack with an estimated street value of $1,000. Officers also discovered what they described as an “elaborate video surveillance system” on the side of the duplex where Hall and Prevec were arrested.
“A woman who lives on the other side of the duplex had no idea any [drug activity] was going on,” Criswell said.
Police said they had to call in the task force because Niles does not maintain either an entry team or a SWAT team