Police: Easton Man Sold Cocaine to Informant

Easton police nabbed an alleged drug dealer after setting up a cocaine buy with a confidential informant.

Troy Harris, 43, of the 800 block of Wolf Avenue, was arraigned early Tuesday before on-duty District Judge Joseph Barner of Lower Nazareth Township and charged with delivery of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility.

He remains in Northampton County Prison in lieu of 10 percent of $5,000 bail.

The “controlled purchase” of cocaine was coordinated in June 2012, according to court records. It is unclear in court documents why charges weren't filed until more than seven months later.

Det. Andrew Ocetnik writes in an affidavit of probable cause that he met his confidential informant at a predetermined location. The informant then arranged to purchase cocaine from Harris.

Ocetnik supplied the informant with “a sum of pre-recorded U.S. currency,” court records say, and transported him/her to the 800 block of Lehigh Street.

After a brief exchange with Harris, according to court records, the informant met Ocetnik at another predetermined location and handed over “two knotted-off plastic corner ties, which contained suspected cocaine.”

Information included with Harris’ arrest details stated he is not employed and lives with his parents.