New Kensington police: Gun, heroin seized from felon's home

A convicted felon recently released from state prison was arrested Thursday after police said they found more than 700 stamp bags of heroin and a handgun in his New Kensington home.

New Kensington police arrested Charles Jones, 40, after serving a search warrant around 6 a.m. at his residence in the 300 block of North Street, according to Detective Sgt. Sam Long. He did not say why they obtained or executed the warrant, and related paperwork was not available Thursday afternoon.

Long said officers found 734 stamp bags of heroin and a Ruger .380-caliber handgun inside the home.

Dandre Raijier Thornton, 19, of Duquesne also faces charges.

Police said they went into the home and detained Jones and Thornton as they were walking out of a second-floor bathroom, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

In the bathroom, police said they found 650 stamp bags of heroin in a garbage can, the complaint said. A digital scale was found on the dining room table.

Police said they also found a clear plastic baggie containing 80 heroin stamp bags marked “No Name” in red ink and four heroin stamp bags marked “Sweet Dreams” in blue ink in a hallway outside the bathroom.

Jones is a convicted felon, which means he can’t legally possess firearms, police said. He was released from SCI Laurel Highlands in February after serving roughly 21 years of a 20-to-40-year sentence for murder, according to court documents.

The gun is registered to Jones’ girlfriend, who lives in the home with him, Long said. She hasn’t been charged.

Both men face multiple drug charges. Jones also is charged with a firearms violation.

They were being held Thursday afternoon in Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are set for June 13.