A federal grand jury has indicted two men authorities say had 22 pounds of cocaine in a New Kensington house.
Marcos Francisco-Tomas, 33, and Andres Flores-Cedeno, 27, were indicted on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Tuesday.
Each is being held in the Allegheny County Jail, according to court records.
The men were arrested Saturday. Authorities said they were living in a house in the 1800 block of Seventh Street, two doors down from Martin Elementary School, the New Kensington-Arnold School District’s kindergarten school.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictments. The prosecution is part of an organized crime drug enforcement task force’s investigation, which identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
Flores-Cedeno, who authorities say was carrying a Mexican passport, was arrested outside the house; Francisco-Tomas ran and was apprehended in the school’s parking lot, according to court records.
Investigators said they had been watching the men come and go from the house since November and moved in to arrest them after seeing Flores-Cedeno get into a tractor-trailer that stopped in front of the house and Francisco-Tomas get out of the truck carrying a duffel bag believed to contain cocaine.
A search of the house found 10 kilograms of cocaine, about 22 pounds, scattered and hidden throughout the house, an affidavit said. There was also an undetermined amount of cash inside a safe, a money counter and drug packaging materials.
If convicted, the men face 10 years to life in prison and fines up to $10 million.
