UPJ junior accused of dealing marijuana

A college student has been arrested and identified as a primary marijuana dealer for students at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and for others.

Marc Andrew Smith, 21, of York, was charged Tuesday after Richland Township police said they found him with more than 2 pounds of marijuana at his Tener Street apartment.

“Marc is definitely responsible for a large amount (of marijuana sales) in this area,” Detective Kevin Gaudlip said at the Richland police offices.

Drugs found in Smith’s apartment had a street value of about $9,000, police said.

Also confiscated was $2,000 in cash and a variety of drug paraphernalia.

Smith is a junior at UPJ, Gaudlip said.

Police also arrested Jamie Jay Piell, 21, of Acosta, Somerset County. They say Piell had just purchased a large plastic bag of pot that he later admitted was on its way to State College for distribution.

Working with UPJ police, Richland officers spent a week investigating marijuana sales on campus and tracked them back to Smith’s apartment, Gaudlip said.

About 6 p.m. Tuesday, a police informant went to the residence and bought drugs. Officers immediately raided the apartment, Gaudlip said.

Inside the apartment, they found several people, with Smith sitting beside an open bag of marijuana, the arrest report said. An electronic scale was on the coffee table in front of him.

Those in the apartment were surprised, but did not offer any resistance, Gaudlip said.

Another person was arriving to buy drugs, Gaudlip said. Although he was not arrested because the transaction was interrupted, police did seize his cash.

“There are going to be some upset students,” Gaudlip said.

Those arrested underestimated the seriousness of their offense, he added.

“Since it was marijuana, they thought they wouldn’t go to jail,” Gaudlip said. “If you are dealing a quarter-pound or a pound of marijuana in this area, you’d better expect to go to jail.”

Smith and Piell were charged with drug possession, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Smith faces two additional counts of delivery of a controlled substance.

They were placed in Cambria County Prison on Tuesday. Smith was later released on bond.



Randy Griffith can be reached at 532-5057 or rgriffith@tribdem.com.