By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Published: Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The former spokesman for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato agreed to a plea deal of probation without verdict for a cocaine possession charge, as part of a program for first-time offenders.

Kevin Evanto, 42, of Lawrenceville agreed on Monday to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of six months of probation. If Evanto successfully completes his probation, the charge will be expunged. As part of the deal, prosecutors withdrew a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and a traffic offense, said Phil DiLucente, Evanto's lawyer.

Authorities charged Evanto in June when McKeesport police pulled him over on the on-ramp to the Duquesne-McKeesport Bridge and found drugs.

Evanto began working for the county in 2005 and was Onorato's director of communications. The county demoted him as a result of the charges, DiLucente said.

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