Pittsburgh Review

A recent arrest in Pennsylvania was one of the largest fentanyl seizures by the Office of the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation under the lead of AG Josh Shapiro, resulting in the seizure of approximately $1.4 million in fentanyl and $28,000 worth of cocaine.

On March 17, Domonique Taylor, 37, of 19 Moody Street, Braddock, Penn., was arrested through a coordination of local law enforcement and the AG's office; leading to the seizure of guns, vehicles, multiple kinds of drugs and $545,738 in cash; a release by the attorney general's office said.

"Today, thanks to strong collaboration with our local law enforcement partners, we shut down a major drug trafficking operation in Western Pennsylvania," Shapiro said in the release. "Drug trafficking is a violent enterprise. This investigation is how we fight back against gun violence and those who push poisons onto our streets. Through cooperation and hard work, we can make sure Pennsylvania communities are safer."

A warrant was granted on March 9 and then executed at 19 Moody St. in Braddock at 7:30 a.m. on March 11, police reports said. Entry was made into the residence at 9:41 a.m. It was reported that there were a number of cameras outside the residence and in the entryway. Inside the entryway was another camera and an open front door.

Search warrants of Taylor's property led to 15 charges against him and the seizure of 14 kilograms of fentanyl, which equates to 700,000 individual doses, the release said. Also found was one kilogram of cocaine, marijuana, six vehicles, six firearms and the cash, which were located throughout the home and garage. Since Taylor is a convicted felon, he was not legally allowed to possess firearms. 

Taylor had been under investigation since August 2021, and it remains ongoing. Working on the case are the police departments from Monroeville, Penn Hills, Elizabeth Township, Munhall and Wilkinsburg, as well as the Office of the Attorney General. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Tomm Mutschler.

Upon entering the residence, police detained Porscha Brown; she was cuffed and walked to the front of the street. While clearing the residence, police announced that they were executing a search warrant and ordered Taylor to show himself. He was found walking up the basement steps, where he said he was getting food for his dogs. Taylor was then detained, cuffed and moved to the dining room. No one else was found in the residence.

The list of contraband found was extensive. It included multiple boxes and bags of currency including U.S. currency and Royal Sovereign money; a total of seven digital scales; ammunition and a multitude of guns including a Glock pistol, an Anderson AM-15 rifle, Sophia honing and tactical 12-gauge shotgun, a rifle compensator, a dual-drum magazine and lower for an AR-15 pistol, and a variety of other magazines; a baggie containing cocaine as well as two other bags of cocaine with a cutting agent; cocaine with scale in a black duffel bag; cocaine in a Car Quest cooler; various bags and buckets of marijuana; two money counters and a basket full of financial records; two cell phones; and a kilo press.

Eight vehicles, trailers and motorcycles were seized in the arrest. Taylor owns 22 vehicles and numerous properties, and he admitted to paying cash for it all. He said that he sells vehicles for cash to make a living and also operates a landscaping company. He admitted that he has no income, only deals with cash and has not filed taxes.

A police report said that Taylor was viewed moving the buckets, duffel bags, gun boxes and assault rifle cases "numerous times" since January 2022. The search warrant allowed police to verify what was in the bags and cases. Digital surveillance showed that Taylor was the only person using the garage behind 120 Camp Ave. where he moved duffel bags, gun boxes, assault weapon cases and luggage.

While being interviewed Taylor admitted to moving drugs from his residence to the trailer. Seized from the garage in a warrant executed at 5:49 p.m. were the 14 kilograms of fentanyl in a black Adidas bag, an Anderson AM-15 rifle with loaded magazine, a vacuum-sealed tub of an unknown substance, a sawed-off shotgun, a box of stamp bags of heroin, two clear bags of several bundles of heroin, two .40-caliber handgun magazines, two extended magazines, a 9 mm handgun, a vacuum-sealed bag of marijuana, a Corvette and an Impala.

Inside the residence were 18 ounces of cocaine amounting to a street value of $28,000; as well as two pounds of marijuana in large bags, 10 clear bags of marijuana, 20 small bags of marijuana and edibles.

The AG's office said that the heroin, fentanyl and opioid crisis has been a top priority since 2017, and since that time the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation has taken 4 million doses of fentanyl off the street. In 2021 the Bureau arrested 1,624 drug dealers.