Police: $205K seized from Arnold home where 3 ran drug enterprise

Arnold police and the state Attorney General’s Office said they seized more than $205,000 in cash and other valuables upon arresting two men and a woman who they said were dealing crack cocaine in the city.

Police said Matthew Avans McCloud, 30, Steven Charles Boykin, 29, and Darrian Wilford, 24, operated a narcotics enterprise together from a house in the 1800 block of Kimball Avenue.

When police searched the home after arresting McCloud, they said they found cash scattered throughout. Police said they found $119,250 in a basement stove, $40,920 in the basement ceiling, $30,000 in a safe in the master bedroom, $12,470 elsewhere in the master bedroom, $1,230 in the kitchen, $960 in water jugs and $605 in Boykin’s pocket.

In addition to drug offenses, police charged Boykin and Wilford on Tuesday with four counts each of child endangerment. While searching the house, police said they found crack cocaine on a kitchen table that was accessible to an infant and three other children ages 2, 8, and 10.

Court records filed in the case said an informant told authorities that McCloud was distributing crack cocaine in the Arnold area. Controlled buys were made June 10 and Monday.

Authorities said they learned McCloud was staying at a residence in the 1800 block of Kimball Avenue owned by Boykin.

After a controlled buy in the 1700 block of Freeport Road, McCloud was stopped on Rankin Street. While handcuffed and in the back of a police car, police said McCloud was able to get his phone and make a call, which they later learned was to Boykin.

Officers found Boykin and Wilford on the porch of the Kimball Avenue house.

Because McCloud made the call while in custody, officers made what they called a “protective sweep” of the residence, during which the four children and the crack cocaine were found. Police then got a search warrant for the house.

In addition to the cash, police said they found a money counter and drug paraphernalia including a bag of crack cocaine, bags with cocaine residue, bags of marijuana, packaging material and scales.

Police said they also found a loaded Glock .45-caliber magazine and another Glock magazine.

Boykin denied knowing about the crack cocaine found on the kitchen table, police said. When officers told Wilford of the danger of having crack cocaine on the table with children in the house, police said she told them she understood but denied knowing about it.

Police said they found a 2014 Cadillac belonging to Boykin and a 2019 Cadillac belonging to Wilford. Other items included three 65-inch televisions, leather furniture valued at $2,000, a brand new washer and dryer, eight to 10 high-priced purses and high-priced shoes, including about 25 pairs of high-end tennis shoes valued on average at $300 each.

McCloud, Boykin and Wilford were arraigned Tuesday before New Kensington District Judge Frank Pallone. McCloud and Boykin were jailed on $250,000 bail each, while Wilford was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Preliminary hearings for all three are scheduled for July 15, according to court records.