Attorney General Shapiro Announces Charges Following Seizure of $236K in Drugs, Cash in Allegheny County

January 2, 2019 | Topic: Criminal

Drug dealers arrested in possession of 1 ½ kilos of cocaine, more than $13K cash

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced felony charges against two Pittsburgh-area drug dealers after seizing more than $13,000 cash and cocaine and methamphetamine with a street value of $223,000.

Ivan Organista-Gomez, 41, and Fabiola Romero-Dorante, 33, of Texas Avenue, Pittsburgh are charged with criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver, and other related charges following a drug seizure. On Thursday, December 27, 2018 agents from the Office of Attorney General observed Organista-Gomez leave Romero-Dorante’s apartment. After failing to stop at a stop sign, Organista-Gomez was pulled over and four ounces of cocaine were seized from his car.

Upon entering the residence on Romero-Dorante, agents discovered a half-pound of methamphetamine, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, $13,026 cash, a digital scale and other items which are commonly used by drug traffickers to break down bulk amounts of narcotics into smaller amounts for resale. Two juveniles were also at the residence at the time of the seizure.

“I’m committed to making sure Pennsylvanians can feel safe in their neighborhoods, and taking down illegal drug operations like this one is part of that mission. These dealers were keeping hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal narcotics in the same home where children were present,” said Attorney General Shapiro. “Drug networks like this push poison into our communities, increasing the effects of the heroin and opioid epidemic, and we will continue to prosecute them to make our neighborhoods safer.”

Following her arrest, Romero-Dorante told police how she and Organista-Gonez travel to California to purchase cocaine and methamphetamine.

These cases are being prosecuted by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.

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