By Brett R. Whitling
CLARION NEWS Writer
CLARION
The Clarion County Narcotic Enforcement Team has charged five people including a Sligo man with the intent to sell crack cocaine.
Robert E. Fair, 35, Sligo; Hasan Shereef, 40, Butler; Catherine Williams, 30, Slippery Rock; Tonia Lynn Rowles, 33, Butler and; Richard H. Harden, 64, Sharon, allegedly intended to sell the drug in Clarion Borough.
Clarion County Chief Detective William H. Peck IV, leader of CNET, met with a CNET informant who claimed he/she could purchase crack cocaine from Rowles.
Once gaining Peck’s approval, the informant allegedly set up a meeting through text message at the Valero gas station along Main Street in Clarion Borough to purchase two “balls” of crack cocaine.
The informant allegedly said Rowles would set up the transaction with an unknown male.
At 10 p.m., Peck, another CNET member and a state police trooper. The team of law enforcement officials met the informant who related Rowles wanted $350 for the cocaine.
Peck allegedly provided the informant with $325 and told him/her to tell Rowles that was all the money he/she could come up with.
Police positioned themselves in separate locations to observe the informant parked in front of the Valero gas station.
Peck saw a white female, later identified as Rowles and a white male, later identified as Fair, approach the informant’s vehicle and talk through the driver’s side window.
The informant got out of the vehicle and walked across Main Street heading towards Wood Street.
Ryan saw the suspect’s vehicle parked in the parking lot near a law office.
A female later identified as Catherine Williams, allegedly stood in the parking lot waving her arms and yelling “Down here” as the informant, Rowles and Fair walked towards the parking lot.
Police also saw two males in the back seat of the suspect’s vehicle.
Peck moved closer to the parking lot and saw one of the males wearing a camouflage hat, later identified as Richard Harden, exit the vehicle and make an exchange with the informant.
The informant allegedly said Harden told them to hug him “to make it look good,” and then to hug Rowles and Fair as well.
Harden then returned to the vehicle with Rowles, Williams and Fair.
Once the informant went back to his/her vehicle, they were met by police and gave the officers nine small plastic bags containing crack cocaine.
Peck followed the suspects’ vehicle as it made its way to the Clarion Mall parking lot where they sat for 10 minutes.
Once the vehicle left the parking lot, Peck continued to follow until he lost sight of the vehicle after turning onto Stoney Lonesome Road.
Police then located the vehicle at the Citgo in Sligo before heading towards Parker on State Route 58.
State police Tpr. Tate Allison stopped the vehicle east of the Parker Bridge for speeding and was able to identify Rowles as the driver, and Williams, Fair, Shareef, and Harden as the passengers.
The CNET trooper assisted Allison in conducting an investigation and located two “crack pipes,” stuffed in the back seat of the vehicle and photographed the money Shareef had in his possession which included the $325 CNET money used to make the purchase.
While Peck was debriefing the informant, information came up that the informant refused to front the money to Rowles in the Valero parking lot.
Fair attempted to convince the informant to front the money indicating, “You know how they are, they won’t meet you.”
On June 16, Peck gained information that Shareef was arrested by state police for drug related crimes in Butler.
Peck contacted state police Tpr. Brian Palko of the Butler Crime Unit and explained his investigation with Shareef from May 19.
Palko stated Shareef was arrested in Butler and was found in possession of controlled substances, firearms and money. Palko was able to confirm most of CNET’s $325 was in the seized money.
Shareef was charged in Clarion’s investigation with conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, an unclassified felony. He is in the Butler County Jail on a $750,000 bail.
Fair and Williams were also charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, an unclassified felony.
Rowles was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, an unclassified felony and criminal use of a communication facility, a third-degree felony.
Richard H. Harden was charged with possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy of possession with intent to deliver, both unclassified misdemeanors and; possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both unclassified misdemeanors.