ST. ALBANS — A St. Albans couple and two people from out of state face charges after a months-long investigation into drug trafficking — including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine — led to their arrests Thursday, according to police.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said Monday a team of four detectives and five deputies, led by Detective Lt. Carl E. Gottardi, executed a search warrant at 5:15 a.m. Thursday at the residence of Mallory and Tyler Bernat 44 Valley Lane.
Deputies entered the residence without incident and detained eight people, according to Lancaster.
Top row Mallory Bernat, left, and Tyler Bernat. Bottom row Darryl Dogan, left, and Jessica Perry Somerset County Sheriff’s Office photos
The search turned up heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and controlled pills, Lancaster wrote in a prepared statement.
Officers also found more than $12,500 in cash, a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a black powder pistol and rifle, digital scales, drug-related documentation and drug-related paraphernalia, according to Lancaster.
Four of the eight suspects were arrested and charged. The four are:
• Mallory Bernat, 33, of St. Albans, charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and two counts of possession of scheduled drugs. At her arraignment Friday, bail was set at $10,000.
• Tyler Bernat, 33, of St. Albans, charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, two counts of possession of scheduled drugs, possession of a firearm by a felon and violating conditions of release. At the time of his arrest, Bernat had an active warrant out for his arrest in Franklin County, with a $2,000 bail amount. At his arraignment Friday, Bernat’s bail was set at $15,000.
• Darryl Dogan, 58, of Trenton, New Jersey, charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, two counts of possession of scheduled drugs and possession of a firearm by a felon. At his arraignment Friday, Dogan’s bail was set at $100,000.
• Jessica Perry, 31, of Leavittown, Pennsylvania, charged with aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs, two counts of possession of scheduled drugs, possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of being a fugitive from justice. At her arraignment Friday, Perry’s bail was set at $50,000 on charges related to the search warrant. She was being held without bail on her fugitive charges out of New Jersey.
Lancaster said further charges might be forthcoming after the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office reviews the case against the four who were arrested and the four who were detained at the residence but then released.
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