Police Affidavit Details Kittanning Drug Arrest Case
by Jonathan Weaver
Text messages sent between a woman and a local drug dealer played a leading role in last week’s arrest of a Kittanning man.
Zane Clever, 38, is charged with delivering a lethal combination of the recreational drugs heroin and fentanyl to Angela Wright October 22 – less than 12 hours before the 32-year-old overdosed on the drugs.
Zane Clever is charged with felony drug delivery resulting in death, felony drug possession with intent to deliver, felony delivery of that controlled substance, misdemeanor drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person following the overdose death of Angela Wright in October 2016. (Armstrong County Jail photo)
In the criminal affidavit first filed by Kittanning Borough Police in December 2016, police explain the process that led to the felony and misdemeanor charges filed against Clever.
Police recovered two empty stamp bags with the blue logo “Star Struck” as well as two used syringes from Wright’s purse the morning she was found on the kitchen floor, but a cell phone found in a jointing room gave police their first clues.
It was on that cell phone that police read Wright’s last messages to “Zane” the evening of October 22, including her willingness to pay up to $40 for what was to be two bags of heroin.
Through a search warrant approved by District Magisterial Judge Gary DeComo in Ford City, police received a call log of Verizon Wireless text messages and cell phone towers utilized by the owner – whom police believed to be Clever from the beginning.
A week later, a man thought to be stealing scrap from PJ Greco offered knowledge about Wright’s death for possibly-reduced charges. The alleged thief identified Clever as the person who sold Wright the stamp bags, and the phone number the alleged thief has for Clever matched the phone number police found as the recipient to Wright’s October 22 text messages.
Allegheny County Medical Examiner officials also confirmed “Star Struck” contained the heroin/fentanyl mixture, the same mixture found in Wright’s bloodstream.
Clever was arrested in mid-November for a probation violation, and police noted his possession of a cell phone at the time of booking. Through assistance by an Armstrong County Jail intake officer and an additional search warrant, police were able to cross-reference the Verizon Wireless cell phone number with the original text messages.
County District Attorney Scott Andreassi praised local law enforcement for the investigation.
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to link a specific drug to a specific drug dealer to a specific death,” Andreassi said last week.
Still held in the Armstrong County Jail, Clever was arraigned on the five additional charges and is being held on $50,000 bond until at least his preliminary hearing next week.
Local News | jweaver January 17, 2017
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By worthingtonman, January 17, 2017 @ 4:11 PM
@ jonathon
If you want a real story check into this guys previous arrest records. Look at how many times they ole bargained his crimes into nothing. This guy should have been locked up for years…….. many years ago. But no, the good old Armstrong County Criminal Justice system keeps churning these drug dealers out into the streets with reduced charges and plea bargains. If what they are saying is true, then the blood of Angela Wright is on their hands for being soft old sponges in crime. Lock these dealers up for maximum sentenances every chance you get and this kind of crap won’t happen. Now parade yourselves around like you have done something really good. They make me sick. All of the glory seekers in this picture because they all know this guys criminal past and how they left skate time and time again and now they think they can make a news splash! I hope he walks just to put egg on their face! I bet you all can wait for Scotty boy to run for judge.