Allegheny Township man accused of endangering kids to stand trial on separate drug charges

A man arrested earlier this month by Vandergrift police on charges that he and his girlfriend kept the cocaine and marijuana they sold or used within reach of two young children has been ordered to stand trial on drug charges filed late last year.

John Edward Johnston Jr., 30, of the 3900 block of Greenwood Drive in Allegheny Township was charged April 11 with two counts of endangering the welfare of children and possession of drugs with the intent to deliver, which are felonies, along with five misdemeanor counts of drug possession.

Johnston was being detained in the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of a $5,000 cash bond, according to court records. He faces a May 30 preliminary hearing before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

A warrant for Johnston’s arrest was issued in December after he failed to appear for a hearing on four felony counts of possession of drugs with the intent to deliver filed by Lower Burrell police in November, court records show.

During a court appearance Tuesday for the November drug charges, Johnston waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Peck Yakopec, who ordered him to stand trial. Formal arraignment in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court is scheduled for June 28.

Lower Burrell police wrote in a criminal complaint filed Nov. 17 that officers joined agents from the state Attorney General’s Office and the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force in a sting operation to buy drugs from Johnston during the spring of 2022.

On March 29, 2022, undercover investigators arranged to buy an “eight ball,” or one-eighth of an ounce, of crack cocaine from Johnston, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said the drugs they exchanged for money field-tested positive for cocaine, but the amount Johnston sold them was “far less” than they agreed upon, the complaint said. Instead of 3.5 grams of the drug, the bag they received only weighed 0.81 gram.

Investigators said they arranged to buy “ice,” or methamphetamine, from Johnston on April 25 and exchanged cash for 3 grams of the drug, the complaint said.

Domestic leads to drug charges

Vandergrift police arrested Johnston and his girlfriend on drug charges earlier this month after officers responding to a domestic disturbance at the woman’s home said they found the cocaine and marijuana they were selling and using stored within reach of two young children.

Johnston was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of children and possession of drugs with the intent to deliver, which are felonies, along with five misdemeanor counts of drug possession.

Stephanie Ray Nicely, 25, of Emerson Street Court in Vandergrift faces two felony counts of child endangerment and five misdemeanor counts of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

She was charged by summons and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing before Peck Yakopec on May 30.

Police wrote in their arrest papers that officers responding to a domestic dispute call at Nicely’s home found Johnston hiding in a closet after the woman told officers that he had left, the complaint said.

Investigators said there were multiple marijuana bongs in open sight on a dresser and on wall shelves.

Police said Nicely gave them permission to search her house, where they found several containers of powdered cocaine. Police also confiscated paraphernalia used to cook powdered cocaine into crack, the complaint said.