Pocono News Section

Drugs & Guns Seized From South Scranton Home

Drugs & Guns Seized From South Scranton Home - Monday, March 24, 2008 at 6:43PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday, Mar 24, 2008 @06:43pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - Assault weapons, knives, ammunition and even gas masks were among the arsenal of weapons that were taken out of a home in the 500-block of South Scranton late last week.

Police arrested the man who lived there, 31-year-old Thomas Evanitsky, after using confidential informants to catch him selling drugs.

"Even if the SWAT Team or Entry Team used tear gas, he was well-equipped by the use of gas masks, it could have been a very serious situation," Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola said.

Investigators say Evanitsky was a security guard for the General Dynamics plant on Cedar Avenue and often sold drugs in the plant's parking lot. A woman who answered the 31-year-old's door didn't want to comment, but neighbors say they're shocked about the drug dealing and weapons stash.

"It is shocking and scary to know that you have someone like that living right close to you and you don't even know it," neighbor Lourdes Morales.

Lisa Nunez lives two doors down from Evanitsky and worries for the sake of her kids.

"Yeah I'm nervous, just by you telling me, look at the way I am," Nunez.

Besides the weapons, prosecutors say they also seized more than $11,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana from the suspect's home. Evantisky's neighbors say he mostly kept to himself.

"They were not the friendly type, like the ones to say hi or good morning. They never said a word to us," Morales said.

Evantisky is currently locked-up on $300,000 bail in Lackawanna County.