Inside 825 S. Webster Ave., Lackawanna County detectives executing a search warrant Thursday say they found $20,000 worth of raw heroin and another $2,500 worth of cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy.
On top of 825 S. Webster Ave., the investigators found Hafeez Arnold, 28, running across the roof in his underwear.
"I don't sell drugs. I don't sell drugs," he screamed as the detectives smashed out a window and climbed onto the roof after him, authorities said.
After a struggle, the detectives managed to take Mr. Arnold into custody on the roof, which made for the third arrest that afternoon in a case that began with Dickson City police about two months ago, authorities said.
After Dickson City officers began a drug investigation in the borough, information eventually led them to the case's "major target" - Sean Fairweather, 32, who lived with Mr. Arnold at 825 S. Webster Ave. in Scranton, said county Deputy District Attorney Shane Scanlon.
By then, Dickson City police had brought the county detectives into the case, and on Thursday they applied for a search warrant for the home.
Before they made their way inside, investigators followed Mr. Fairweather as he drove off in a white GMC Envoy with Latique Johnson, a 33-year-old member of the Bloods street gang from the Bronx, N.Y., who had been staying with Mr. Fairweather, Mr. Scanlon said.
After tailing the vehicle, an arrest team took the two men into custody at Linden Street and Harrison Avenue and found more than $2,300 on Mr. Fairweather as well as a vial containing raw heroin, according to a criminal complaint.
One of the two cellphones he had on him also turned out to be the phone used to facilitate drug sales during the course of the investigation, authorities said.
A few minutes later came the raid on South Webster Avenue, Mr. Arnold's arrest and the discovery of more than $22,000 worth of drugs.
During the raid, detectives noticed a man run past a second-floor window, which led to the discovery of Mr. Arnold on the roof.
Among the narcotics seized were 20 Ecstasy pills as well as suspected powder Ecstasy, which investigators believe the men had been putting into two-part ingestible capsules to make pills.
"They were actually making pills," said Mr. Scanlon, who heads the narcotics unit of the DA's office. "We don't come across that quantity of Ecstasy often."
Investigators were unsure how many pills the 7 grams of powder could produce but estimated the number to be in the hundreds.
All three men were arrested on charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Mr. Arnold also was charged with resisting arrest. Mr. Fairweather also was charged with criminal use of a communication facility.
Mr. Fairweather and Mr. Johnson were sent to Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail. Mr. Arnold was held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Mr. Scanlon emphasized the cooperation of several agencies - including the Scranton Police Department in making the arrests and raiding the home Thursday - to help rid the area of "this kind of conduct."
"Our communities are not going to allow this kind of conduct," he said. "We don't want these people in our community."
Contact the writer: domalley@timesshamrock.com, @domalleyTT on Twitter