Woman Charged with Using Children to Sell Drugs in Sewickley, Moon

today arrested a former childcare worker for using her children to sell drugs from her Stocker Drive home and on two occasions in Sewickley. 

Police said 48-year-old Pamela Smallis met with police informants on five separate occasions in 2011 to sell them marijuana and narcotics, frequently bringing her children along with her to drug sales. Her son, Richard Smallis, 19, of Moon, has also been charged in connection to the incident. 

Smallis, who formerly worked for the Children's Palace daycare center in Monaca, on Dec. 16 arranged for undercover informants to come to her home in the 300 block of Stocker Drive where one of her children, who is a minor, sold them prescription drugs and marijuana. 

On Jan. 3, police seized marijuana from a vehicle during a traffic stop, charging two minors, including one of Smallis' children, with drug possession. 

Moon Police Chief Leo McCarthy said he could not disclose the age of Smallis' children. Under Pennsylvania law, children younger than age 10 cannot be criminally charged. 

McCarthy said Smallis has been under investigation by police and the state Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation agents since mid-2011. She was taken into custody by police early today and will face an arraignment. 

Police said she met with informants at the Allegheny County Port Authority Park 'n Ride lot at the corner of Thorn Run Road and University Boulevard to sell prescriptions including diazepam, Opana pills, clonazepam, prochlorperazine, cyclobenzaprine. She also met with informants on two occassions in November and December to sell marijuana and prescpription drugs in Sewickley.

Smallis is charged with three counts of felony endangering the welfare of children, four counts of drug possession with intent to deliver, five counts of drug delivery, criminal use of a communications facility and corruption of minors. 

Her son Richard is charged with criminal conspiracy, drug delivery and two counts of drug possession with intent to deliver. Ambridge resident John Peter Banes, 45, has been charged with supplying Smallis with the drug Opana, a pain pill generically called oxymorphine. assisted in the investigation. 

The daycare could not be reached for comment. 

Preliminary hearings have not yet been scheduled. Police ask anyone with further information regarding the case to reach them at 412-262-5000. Check back with Patch for coverage. 

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