Metro

A second Philadelphia man allegedly involved in the trafficking of narcotics linked to several overdose deaths in Altoona had all charges against him bound to the court of common pleas following a preliminary hearing in Blair County Court on Wednesday.

Amir Carter, 20, is facing three felony counts of possession with intent to deliver, a single felony count of conspiracy – possession with intent to deliver, four misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and single misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and evading arrest.

Carter was taken into custody on June 13 when Altoona Narcotics Officer Stephen Fox was surveilling a known drug house in the area of 40th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Fox testified that officers spoke to an individual who left the house and ultimately admitted to purchasing heroin from two men “from Philly.”

The individual told officers when he entered the house, Carter’s codefendants Joseph Michael Lojeski, 43, who was identified as the home’s primary resident, and Heather Joy McConahay, 37, directed him upstairs to Carter and codefendant Eric Lamont Eberhart, 24. Fox said the individual proceeded to the residence’s second floor and bought five stamp bags of heroin for Carter and Eberhart.

Fox said a search warrant was then compiled and executed on the suspected drug house, yielding 16 bricks of heroin, including 149 bags stamped with “Chucky” and “twitch,” 20 grams of crack cocaine, 78 grams of psychedelic mushrooms and about $2,010 in cash. During the search, McConahay and Lojeski were detained.

Fox said during Eberhart’s preliminary hearing on July 9 that there had been at least a half dozen deaths linked to the “Chucky” and “twitch” bags.

Presiding Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones ultimately bound all charges against Carter to the court of common pleas. Carter remains in custody at the Blair County Prison unable to post $400,000 bail.

Eberhart is facing four felony counts of possession with intent to deliver, four misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. His charges were bound to the court of common pleas following a preliminary hearing in Blair County Central Court. He also remains incarcerated at the Blair County Prison in lieu of his $400,000 bail.

Lojeski and McConahay waived their rights to preliminary hearings on July 9. Their identical charges of three felony counts of conspiracy possession with intent to deliver and single misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia were sent to the Blair County Court of Common Pleas.

Lojeski was freed on $75,000 unsecured bail, while McConahay was remanded to the Blair County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.