A judge on Wednesday revoked bond for two men charged in an alleged large-scale cocaine trafficking operation, calling the men flight risks and a danger to the community.
Jermaine Clark and Terry Suggs Jr. were arrested Monday in North Braddock, the culmination of a months-long investigation into the pair.
The two were stopped driving two different vehicles, authorities said, each of which had a secret compartment containing cash and cocaine.
During regularly scheduled bond hearings on Wednesday, prosecutors asked Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Manning to revoke each man’s $25,000 bond.
Authorities said Suggs’ vehicle contained 18 kilograms of cocaine and $10,000 in cash, and prosecutors said he has a history of federal drug and racketeering charges. In Clark’s vehicle, they found 5 kilograms of cocaine in the hidden compartment and has federal bank robbery charges in his history. They said that within the past 30 days, he’d traveled to both Columbia and Mexico.
Manning revoked the bond of both Suggs and Clark.
The men, both of whom are from Philadelphia, appeared in the courtroom via satellite hook-up from the Allegheny County Jail. Clark attempted to ask Manning how, exactly, he is a danger to the community.
Manning pointed to the more 50 pounds of cocaine worth $10 million found in the pair’s vehicles.
District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said earlier this week the bust is the largest in recent memory.
“We haven’t taken this much dope off the streets for a long time,” Zappala said Tuesday evening.
Suggs and Clark and both charged with drug possession, possession with intent to deliver drugs and conspiracy.
