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Bail Reduction Denied For City Man In Meth Lab Bust

WARREN, Pa. — A Jamestown man involved a Terrace Street in Warren, Pa., methamphetamine lab has had a petition for bail reduction denied.

Armando Rosario, 115 Crossman St., was charged with two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of methamphetamine with intent to manufacture, possession of ammonium nitrate with intent to manufacture methamphetamine, two counts of criminal use of a communication facility and two misdemeanor counts of possession of methamphetamine by Warren County Drug Task Force officers on Dec. 1.

Bail was set at $50,000. Rosario’s attorney, Liz Feronti, said that Rosario is not a flight risk of danger to the community.

President Judge Maureen Skerda then raised several concerns about Rosario’s application for bail.

She said that Rosario listed a Dartmouth St. address in Warren as his residence but all three of his references in the application were from Jamestown, one included without a last name.

She said that his application revealed previous charges for petit larceny in Jamestown and explained that while he has had construction work, he is currently laid off because his boss is in detox.

Skerda revealed that Rosario has a history of mental health issues, including a suicide attempt, and said in the application that he didn’t complete high school because he didn’t get along with other students.

She read that Rosario wrote “I’m a good person. I got lost in drugs for a moment.”

Overall, she found his application “very inconsistent.” First Assistant District Attorney Caleb Gnage added that he received documentation on Friday morning before the proceeding that Rosario is wanted on sexual misconduct charges that he pled to back in August.

Gnage said that Rosario lied on the bail application by not disclosing that offense, as well as weapon possession charges in 2003 and possession of controlled substance offenses in 2006 and 2010. He said he was unable to find the petit larceny offense Rosario cited in his prior record but added that there is also a PFA against him.

Skerda said that additional information makes the situation “clearer” and denied the motion.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, drug task force agents made arrangements to purchase one gram of meth from Rosario on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The controlled buy resulted in two baggies of what appeared to be, and tested positive as crystal methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.

Investigators made arrangements for another controlled buy, on Monday, Nov. 14, during which they were able to again purchase methamphetamine from Rosario.

On Nov. 27, while investigating a report of a methamphetamine lab at 6 Terrace St. in Warren, investigators found a receipt from the Dollar General Store in Clarendon that showed a purchase of cold compresses, which contain ammonium nitrate, a substance used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, according to the affidavit.

Further investigation of that store’s security footage showed Rosario purchasing cold compresses at the date and time listed on the receipt.

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