Two men are behind bars after a weekend drug bust at a Loyalhanna home.
Donald Wayne Baker, 41, of Saltsburg, and Michael James Buchinsky, 28, of Loyalhanna, are facing drug charges.
State police said they arrived at Buchinsky’s Noel Drive home at 10:15 p.m. Saturday to serve a bench warrant on him in an Indiana County conspiracy and receiving stolen property case. Buchinsky came outside and was taken into custody and several others, including Baker, who were in the home off Route 981 just south of Saltsburg also exited, according to court papers.
Buchinsky asked troopers to leave his wallet at the home and, when police took the item inside, they reported seeing drugs on a coffee table. After getting a search warrant, police said they found 24 stamp bags of heroin, marijuana, a shotgun and numerous paraphernalia items, including a scale, empty stamp bags and other plastic bags, according to court papers.
Inside the SUV Baker was driving, troopers said they recovered a brick of heroin and 30 stamp bags. The markings on some of those found in the vehicle matched a few that were confiscated from the house, police said in court papers.
Baker was arraigned Sunday and was being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $75,000 bail, according to online court records. Buchinsky was arraigned Monday and denied bail. Preliminary hearings are set for Oct. 18.
Neither suspect had an attorney listed in online court records. They are charged with drug offenses and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Probation officers are seeking to revoke Buchinsky’s participation in a probationary program in a 2018 drunken-driving case in Westmoreland County. He is scheduled for plea court Tuesday in a 2020 terroristic threats case in Indiana County, according to online court records.
Baker is awaiting court action in two drunken-driving cases.
