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Mar 10, 2009 9:28 pm US/Eastern
DA Wants McDonald's To Take Action
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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Authorities have surveillance photos of prescription drug buys in and around downtown McDonald's.
KDKA
The Allegheny County District Attorney says he wants McDonald's to take action against alleged drug activity in and around their three downtown Pittsburgh locations.
After months of surveillance, 48-year-old John Eckard, of Bethel Park, an employee at the McDonald's on Smithfield Street, was arrested.
"I want a settlement tomorrow. And if we don't have a settlement tomorrow, then my guys have been directed to file the complaints," Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said.
Authorities have surveillance photos of prescription drug buys in and around downtown McDonald's restaurants. Zappala has prepared a petition to take McDonald's to court.
An undercover detective says since October, heroin addicts were looking at other ways to get high and knew they could spend plenty of time at McDonald's Smithfield Street, Wood Street or Forbes at Liberty locations.
"They're getting their methadone and then they're eating the pills … to where it's a better high that they're seeing than what they're getting from the heroin," an undercover police detective said.
Eckard's arrest raised some eyebrows downtown.
"It's a restaurant that was condoning that type of activity in it – whether the sales were occurring in the restroom whether those sales were occurring out in the open in that restaurant – it's up to the management to call us and let us know so we can take the corrective action to stop it," Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said.
Zappala says he wants an agreement which includes McDonald's taking responsibility for security at its downtown restaurants and he says he hopes that plan is in place by Wednesday or else he'll take McDonald's to court.
A spokesperson for McDonald's Pittsburgh region released a statement.
"McDonald's and our franchises are fully cooperating with the District Attorney's Office and police department on this matter. We require employees be in full compliance with local, state and federal laws, as well as adhere to our own stringent employment practices."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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