Allegheny County man arrested, accused of operating ‘drug trafficking enterprise’

ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — An Elizabeth Township man was arrested for allegedly operating a “drug trafficking enterprise,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday.

During a search of Franklin Gribschaw’s home, authorities seized $6,540 in cash, as well as the following guns and drugs:

• Three shotguns
• Two AR-style .22 caliber rifles, one of which had an obliterated serial number
• A handgun
• 461 grams of crystal methamphetamine worth more than $46,000
• 59 grams of crack cocaine
• 59 grams of cocaine
• 50 grams of MDMA
• 22 bricks, or more than 3,000 doses of heroin
• Individual doses of Xanax
• Drug paraphernalia

Referencing the doses of heroin found, Shapiro said they were: “Three thousand opportunities to kill a kid in this community, to put someone in a grave in this community because of an opioid overdose.”

Those 3,000 opportunities were “thwarted because of the fine work of law enforcement,” Shapiro added.

Gribschaw, 42, is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child, possession of drug paraphernalia, and criminal use of a communication facility.

The drug trafficking enterprise was shut down by the Office of Attorney General, in partnership with the McKeesport and Elizabeth Township police departments and the District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team.

“Our goal here in the city of McKeesport with making this a safer place for our residents to live, and that starts with taking down the drug trafficking and the violence,” McKeesport Police Chief Adam Alfer said.

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