Mt. Pleasant man jailed on $250K bond after police seize heroin, meth, cash

A major area heroin dealer, who investigators said typically conducted business out of his car throughout central and southern Westmoreland County, on Tuesday decided to sell four bricks of the drug from his Mt. Pleasant home.

That proved to be a mistake.

Borough police and agents from state Attorney General’s Office were watching the West Vine Street residence as George P. Hendricks, 36, allegedly sold the illegal drugs to a confidential informant, according to court documents.

After the transaction, investigators acquired a search warrant from Harrison City District Judge Helen Kistler and returned at 5 p.m. to Hendricks’ home along a quiet residential street. Inside, police say, they confiscated more than 40 bricks of heroin, about 20 grams of methamphetamine, illegal prescription pills, drug packaging materials and $7,860.

“To tell you the truth, (Hendricks) wasn’t really even on our radar. We understand he usually sold out of his car in the Greensburg and Mt. Pleasant areas and not from his home here. But Tuesday, for some reason, he decided to sell out of his house,” said borough police Sgt. Tim Ferree.

Investigators reported that an infant, 12-year-old child and two women were inside the house when agents and police returned with the search warrant. Hendricks was arrested on multiple counts of drug distribution, drug possession and drug paraphernalia and illegal use of a communication device. He also is charged with two counts of child endangerment “for keeping that amount of contraband in such close proximity to children,” Ferree said.

Police confiscated marked bills the informant used in the drug deal, Ferree added.

Kistler ordered Hendricks held in the county jail on $250,000 bond.

“It’s certainly a big arrest for us,” Ferree said.

Hendricks kept most of the heroin and methamphetamine stash in a backpack confiscated from the scene, according to court documents. In all, 48 bricks of heroin were seized, authorities said. A brick is 50 stamp bags of heroin.

Hendricks also kept some drugs in the vicinity of a master bedroom on the second floor and in the kitchen area, investigators reported.

A baby stroller and other children’s toys sat on Hendricks’ front porch on Wednesday. A woman who answered the door declined to identify herself.

“I will tell you, I was completely blindsided by this and that’s all I’m going to say right now,” she said before closing the door.

A neighbor, Jerry Wilmont, was surprised to hear of Hendricks’ arrest and the amount of contraband authorities confiscated.

“They had very little traffic going in there,” he said. “We rarely spoke. They were quiet and pretty much kept to themselves. They’ve only lived there about one year.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Aug. 19 before East Huntingdon District Judge Charles Moore.

State criminal court records show that Hendricks has criminal records dating back to 2002 in multiple western Pennsylvania counties, including single cases Allegheny, Armstrong and Clearfield counties plus four convictions in Jefferson County.

Most of the convictions were for possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, for which he was given probation sentences. Online dockets show in 2005 he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance filed by state police in Dubois and was sentenced to serve 2 years and 6 months to 5 years in prison. An additional charge of delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death was dismissed in connection with the guilty plea in that case, according to court records.

In 2010, Pittsburgh police arrested Hendricks on drug possession charges. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, according to records.