Hempfield man's 'nonstop criminal activity' nets 3-to 6-year prison sentence

A Hempfield man was ordered to serve up to six years in prison for a series of crimes that included an assault against a police officer, two high-speed chases and possession of cocaine in his cell at the Westmoreland County Prison.

As Antjuan Dewayne Smith, 41, pleaded guilty Thursday, his lawyer, Milton Raiford, asked for leniency, suggesting that, as a father of 17 children, Smith’s responsibilities merited consideration for a lesser sentence. Raiford also noted the bulk of his client’s prior criminal record dates to his teen years.

“I am a big comic book fan, and I was always afraid Spider-Man and Thor would die at the end, so I would start at the end and know everything would be OK. My client’s life is like that, a real tear-jerker,” Raiford said.

Smith faced 20 charges in four separate incidents dating to April 2022 that culminated as part of an investigation at the county jail last year.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio imposed consecutive sentences that will require Smith to serve three to six years in prison. Prosecutors asked that Smith serve a maximum of 10 years behind bars.

“He has been engaged in seemingly nonstop criminal activity since 1999 and has four prior convictions for fleeing (from police),” Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker said.

According to county detectives, cocaine was found hidden in a plastic container in Smith’s cell after another inmate reported an attempt to sell illegal drugs. Smith pleaded guilty to two felony drug counts and another misdemeanor offense in connection with the case at the jail.

He had been in custody since his arrest Oct. 23, 2022, in Vandergrift, when, police said, they found him asleep at the wheel of a parked vehicle and suspected he was under the influence of alcohol. According to court records, Smith was startled as he awoke and fought off police as they attempted to remove him from the vehicle. One officer was bitten during the melee in which Smith twice was hit with a Taser as he resisted efforts to take him into custody, police said.

Police said Smith had been wanted on outstanding warrants in connection to allegations he led police on two high-speed chases several months earlier. According to court records, Washington Township police found Smith asleep behind the wheel in a gas station parking lot at 8:30 a.m. April 23, 2022. As officers attempted to question Smith, he sped off. Officers briefly followed but broke off the pursuit because of heavy traffic in the area, police said.

About 10 minutes later, Smith’s vehicle was spotted in front of a Delmont car wash, where officers identified him as the driver who had earlier fled from police. Smith again sped off and and led police on another chase at speeds that reached 80 mph before the pursuit again was discontinued, authorities said.

Police said Smith was identified based on rental car records that revealed the vehicle, which carried a Maine license plate, had been rented by his live-in girlfriend.

Smith pleaded guilty to charges that included aggravated assault, fleeing authorities, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and numerous summary traffic citations.