Accused crack dealer heads to county court after waiving hearing in Lancaster case
LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster man accused of running a crack cocaine operation out of his home will face trial in county court after waiving his preliminary hearing following a months-long investigation, authorities said.
Michael Anthony Gray III, 35, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, along with additional counts for possessing alprazolam and drug paraphernalia.
Gray waived his preliminary hearing March 12, allowing the case to move forward in Lancaster County Court.
Investigators say the charges stem from a prolonged probe that began in September, when members of the Lancaster County Drug Task Force launched an undercover operation targeting Gray.
During the investigation, detectives allegedly made multiple controlled purchases of crack cocaine using pre-recorded funds.
Authorities later executed a search warrant at Gray’s residence on East Chestnut Street as well as his vehicle.
During the raid, investigators recovered approximately 36 grams of cocaine powder valued at about $3,600, along with two handguns, multiple magazines, an alprazolam pill and various drug paraphernalia.
Gray was taken into custody without incident at the time of the search.
He has since been released on $50,000 unsecured bail as the case proceeds through the court system.
The investigation involved assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Narcotic Investigations.
Key Points
- Lancaster man accused of dealing crack waives preliminary hearing
- Investigation included multiple undercover drug buys
- Police seized cocaine, firearms and paraphernalia during search