A Lancaster Township couple was convicted at separate trials last week in a drug-dealing operation that uncovered a half-kilogram of heroin.
David Lausell and Jaelle Ndamage each were convicted of felony-drug dealing and related counts regarding a June 2016 raid in the 700 block of Marietta Avenue.
Lancaster County Drug Task Force detectives found in the apartment 540 grams of heroin, which would sell for an estimated $40,000-$50,000 in bulk form and $174,000 if broken down for street sales, according to detectives.
Lausell, 26, was convicted at a non-jury trial on Jan. 17; a local jury convicted Ndamage, 27, on Jan. 19, following a two-day trial, according to Assistant District Attorney Maria Cusick, who won both convictions.
Lancaster County Judge David Ashworth, who presided over both trials and convicted Lausell, will order sentence at a later date.
Upon arrest last year, Lausell told detectives, “When I get out, I’ll be the big man again. You can’t stop me.”
He also said, “I can do five years standing on my head,” referring to a potential prison sentence.
The jury deliberated Ndamage’s case for about two hours on Jan. 19 before returning its verdict about 4:30 p.m.
From the apartment, detectives also recovered cash, 14 cellphones, and drug-packaging materials including face masks and digital scales.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright
