Trumbull Ashtabula Group working with Trumbull County Sheriff, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the ATF raided a house on Washington Street as part of a two month investigation. Photo by Raymond L. Smith

Tribune Chronicle

WARREN — A two-month investigation into a “trap house” at 539 Washington St. NE, led to a raid Wednesday afternoon during which police recovered a small amount of marijuana, crack cocaine and a 9 mm pistol.

The raid also resulted in the arrest of two men on unrelated charges, according to police.

Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force, working with the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search warrant of the house.

“No one lives in the house,” TAG Capt. Tony Villanueva said. “There is no electricity in the house and it barely has any furniture. It simply was used for drug transactions.”

One of two men arrested at the house during the raid was Mar’Tae Porterfield, who was arrested on a felonious assault warrant.

Marcus Bender, 3070 Lancer Court, was arrested on non-related drug charges. Both men remained at the Trumbull County Jail as of late Wednesday, jail records show.

It is the second raid by TAG in a month. On Jan. 29, agents raided a house on Olive Street in Niles after a three-month investigation.

That raid resulted in the arrest of Jeremy Hosler, 43, who was arrested on an unrelated warrant for failure to pay fines and court costs from a 2014 Warren Municipal Court case, court records show. Agents recovered suspected crack cocaine and marijuana, $40 in cash, drug paraphernalia, digital scales and a beer bottle with a false bottom typically used to hide drugs.