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Mother, Son In Moon Twp. Drug Bust Waive Charges To Court

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A local mother accused of taking her children with her to sell drugs appeared before a judge Tuesday morning.

Pamela Smallis, 48, of Moon Township, and her 19-year-old son, Richard, were arrested after they were caught selling marijuana and prescription drugs in April.

According to police, they had been investigating Smallis for more than a year.

Smallis often had some of her juvenile children along with her during the drug sales, according to police, and twice used her children in drug sales. One of those sales included an undercover police informant, who purchased drugs from the child on Stocker Drive.

Both waived their charges to court, but at least one count of intent to deliver was dropped for each.

"Well, he's very upset about it. He's never been in trouble in his life before," defense attorney Jim Eckert said.

"This has been extremely difficult. She's never had anything faced like this in her entire 40-some years of living – eight children. So, if anyone's faced with this, needless to say it's a very hard situation and she's going to deal with it with her head up and do the right thing," defense attorney Phil DiLucente said.

At the time of their arrest, police said two of the small children were placed into the custody of Children Youth and Families.

A third man, John Peter Banes, 45, of Ambridge, is charged as the source of the drug Oxymorphine to Pamela Smallis.

Banes also waived his charges to court on Tuesday.

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