Police find drugs, $57K after arresting accused drug dealer in New Kensington

A New Kensington man police say was dealing drugs, including cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, was arrested Wednesday morning.

Tarique Taron Godson, 31, was apprehended after city police and officers with the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force carried out a search warrant at a house in the 400 block of Fourth Avenue shortly after 10:30 a.m.

Officers breached the front door after getting no response to their knocks and after seeing two security cameras on the front porch and hearing screaming from inside, according to a criminal complaint.

Godson, the target of the investigation, was found in the kitchen. Two women and two “small” children, whose ages were not given, also were inside, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Godson told police everything they were looking for was in the garage, along with a gun.

Police reported finding 1.5 ounces of fentanyl pills worth about $9,700; 1.3 ounces of cocaine worth $3,800; an ounce of crack cocaine worth $2,800; and illegal mushrooms weighing less than a third of an ounce worth $70.

Police said they found more than 2 ounces of marijuana split up into 16 packets; no value was given.

Crack cooking supplies and a digital scale also were found, according to the complaint.

A loaded .22-caliber pistol was found, the complaint states. Godson pleaded guilty to felony burglary in 2011 and a felony drug charge in 2018, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm, police said.

Police said they found $57,000 in a basement storage room and $110 in Godson’s wallet. He has no verifiable income, police said.

New Kensington police charged Godson with several felony and misdemeanor drug offenses and a felony firearms offense.

Godson was denied bail when he was arraigned Thursday afternoon before District Judge Jason Buczak. His preliminary hearing before New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. is scheduled for July 11.