Chalfant Woman Waives Hearing on Charges of Hitting Police Officers

Tioni Tiffany Brown, 34, of Chalfant waived her right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Thomas Caulfield on March 13 on charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct-engage in fighting, resisting arrest/other law enforcement and driving under the influence (general impairment/incapable of driving safely, first offense).

Charges of aggravated assault, driving under the influence (highest rate of alcohol, blood alcohol content .16+, first offense, and public drunkenness and similar misconduct were withdrawn.

According to a criminal complaint, Swissvale police officers were dispatched to the BP Gas Station at 1600 Braddock Avenue on Dec. 20, 2012 for a hit-and-run accident report. After they arrived, they determined that the accident had taken place across the street in Edgewood Borough.

Brown claimed she had been rear ended by another car as she traveled down South Braddock Avenue. She began to argue with officers and when she was advised that she was going to be arrested, Brown refused to comply and had to forcibly be taken into custody.

She struck two officers. She was also highly uncooperative with officers at the police station. She was transported to Allegheny County Jail. Edgewood police took the accident report.

Caulfield heard the following other cases in his Forest Hills courtroom last week:

• Michael Donell Wheeler, 24, of Wilkinsburg waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of manufacture, delivery or possession/intent to manufacture or deliver; intentional use of a controlled substance by a person not registered; use/possession of drug paraphernalia; and driving while operating privileges have been suspended or revoked. Charges of use/possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to stop at a red signal were withrdrawn. According to a criminal complaint, a Swissvale officer monitoring traffic March 8 observed a vehicle make a left turn through a steady red light. The driver, identified as Wheeler, did not have a valid driver's license. An officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from the car. After a search, officers discovered a clear plastic jar containing 10 individually wrapped bags of marijuana, a sandwich bag box with clear plastic bags and a silver digital scale. Wheeler had $46 and a black cell phone in his possession. 

• Gerald James Lee III, 21, of Penn Hills waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of criminal use of a communications facility; two counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; and intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered. Police arranged for a controlled buy of 40 bags of heroin for $300 at the Wendy's in Edgewood Towne Centre. After the exchange, officers from the District Attorney's Narcotics Enforcement Team (DANET) stopped Lee in the 700 block of Greendale Avenue in Edgewood. He was taken into custody, then to Allegheny County Jail, where he remains unable to make bail set at 10 percent of a $5,000 bond. 

• Steven Pugar, 29, of Plum Borough waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. DANET officers were conducting an operation near South Braddock Avenue. When the car they expected arrived, a man identified as Pugar got into the back seat behind the driver. According to a criminal complaint, Pugar exited the vehicle and went to the restroom inside the Edgewood Towne Centre Wendy's. When confronted, Pugar admitted buying heroin from the target of the DANET operation. He was placed in custody and seven stamp bags of heroin were recovered on him.

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