Pottstown brothers convicted of drug, weapons charges

NORRISTOWN » Two Pottstown brothers were convicted of drug and weapons offenses by a jury after a raid at their borough home uncovered cocaine and various guns.

Ronald Faheem McDaniels, 35, of the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue, was convicted in Montgomery County Court recently of charges of possessing and conspiracy to possess a firearm with an altered serial number, receiving stolen property, possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to possess cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the Nov. 2, 2018, incident at the Lincoln Avenue residence.

McDaniels’ brother, Jamar, 36, was convicted of charges of possessing and conspiracy to possess a firearm with an altered serial number, possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to possess cocaine and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with the incident.

The jury rendered the verdict after a three-day trial before Judge Steven T. O’Neill. After the verdicts were announced, the judge remanded both men to the county jail without bail to await sentencing hearings.

Assistant District Attorney Evan Correia vowed to seek lengthy prison terms against the brothers, pointing out bulk cocaine and numerous handguns, including one that was stolen and one that had an altered serial number, were found inside the residence.

“When police officers made entry to the house they also discovered that the defendants had been barricading the doors with two-by-fours,” Correia alleged. “Anyone that’s barricading their doors that has five handguns in their home and is selling that amount of cocaine clearly presents a danger to the community in Pottstown.”

Court papers indicate the investigation began in October

2018 when the Pottstown Police Community Response Unit developed the McDaniels brothers as suspects involved in illegal drug trafficking in the borough. Four controlled buys of crack cocaine were conducted from the residence “utilizing numerous confidential informants” during undercover operations, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators obtained a warrant to search the residence on Nov. 2. Montgomery

County SWAT-West participated in the serving of the warrant “because it was deemed to be high-risk,” prosecutors and detectives alleged.

The McDaniels brothers were present during the search.

“At the time of the search warrant service, both entry doors to the residence were fortified with 2x4 planks of wood,” police officers wrote in the arrest affidavit.

During the search, police seized a Ruger .40-caliber handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition; a Zoraki 9mm handgun with extended magazine and loaded with 23 rounds of blank ammunition; a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition; a Taurus .40-caliber handgun loaded with 14 rounds; a Glock .40-caliber handgun loaded with eight rounds; various amounts of cocaine packaged in knotted bags; 99 vials of cocaine; digital scales and various drug packaging materials, according to the criminal complaint.

Two of the firearms recovered had previously been reported stolen and the serial number on one of the firearms was partially scratched off, police alleged.

“Based on our training and experience, we know that the items located during the search warrant are consistent with a drug trafficking operation,” police alleged in the criminal complaint.

Ronald McDaniels was represented at trial by defense lawyer Geoffrey Hood. Jamar McDaniels was represented by defense lawyer Christopher Koschier.