UNDERCOVER DRUG BUST FAILS

Suspect Arrested On Charges Of Theft, Not Marijuana Possession

Investigators came close to being $3,200 in debt in official county
funds when a controlled drug buy this weekend did not go as planned.

[name and address deleted] nearly made off with the money
after he promised a pound of marijuana to a confidential police
informant but never came back with the drugs. Undercover
investigators recovered the money about an hour and a half after the
controlled buy failed.

[name deleted] became known by undercover cops and state police Troop G Vice
Unit from a confidential informant. The informant contacted [name deleted] on
Wednesday and met him at an apartment in [location deleted]

[name deleted] told the informant he had a source who could supply up to 6
pounds of marijuana at $2,600 per pound, according to the criminal
complaint. The informant was told by investigators to go with [name deleted]
to the source, negotiate the price and execute a controlled buy of 5
pounds of marijuana. However, the investigators terminated the buy.

"We couldn't get it on our terms, so we ended the deal," said an
investigator, who asked not to be named because of ongoing undercover work.

Investigators told the informant Friday to call [name deleted] again and
arrange to buy marijuana. [name deleted] told the informant his source had 2
pounds of marijuana and would sell it for $3,200 a pound, according
to the criminal complaint.

Investigators provided the informant with $3,200 in official county
funds to purchase 1 pound of marijuana. [name deleted] told the informant to
meet him at [location deleted] at about 7 p.m. and then take him to
[location deleted] to purchase the marijuana.

The informant met [name deleted] about 7 p.m. at [location deleted], took him
to the location specified and gave [name deleted] the $3,200 in official
funds. [name deleted] left the vehicle at about 7:10 p.m. and did not return
with the marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

"It became obvious that we were getting ripped off," the investigator said.

At about 8:30 p.m., investigators went to [name deleted]'s girlfriend's
apartment in [location deleted]; while they were there, [name deleted] called
her cell phone. During the call, the investigators informed [name deleted]
that he had $3,200 in official funds and was told to turn himself in
at the State College Police Department.

[name deleted] told the investigators he was at [location deleted] and asked if they could meet him there. The investigators
arrived at the location and retrieved the money from [name deleted], according
to the criminal complaint.

According to the investigator, the informant had no knowledge of
[name deleted]'s intentions to steal the money. The investigator added that
[name deleted] said he planned to rob the informant.

[name deleted] will be charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen
property and criminal use of a communication facility. He was not
charged with drug-related counts because investigators never found
that he was in possession of drugs. [name deleted] was arraigned by District
Justice Bradley Lunsford and was placed in Centre County prison in
lieu of $10,000 bail. His preliminary hearing will be held Wednesday.