Four charged after man sells undercover cop drugs at Stroudsburg Wawa
A group from Monroe County has been arrested after police say one of them sold heroin and fentanyl to an undercover officer at the Stroudsburg Wawa.
According a release from Monroe County District Attorney Eric J. Kerchner, Zachary Herbst, 26, of East Stroudsburg, was arrested after selling five bags of heroin/fentanyl to an undercover officer at the West Main Street Wawa. Herbst had been in communication with the undercover officer for nearly two months.
In the car with Herbst was his mother, Sheila Conway, 45, of Saylorsburg; Justin Conway, 41, of Saylorsburg; and Robert Sampson, 46, who was listed as homeless.
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The investigation into Herbst's alleged illegal activities started in February when the Monroe County Drug Task Force became aware of Herbst making frequent trips to Paterson, New Jersey, and Kensington, Pennsylvania, to allegedly obtain drugs which he would bring back to Monroe County for personal use and distribution, the affidavit states.
An undercover officer contacted Herbst and began communicating with him. Herbst regularly would contact the undercover officer advising them that he was going to get drugs in Paterson or Kensington and asked the officer if they wanted to contribute money and buy some of the drugs, according to the affidavit.
They were advised of their Miranda rights and interviewed once all four were taken into custody April 10.
Investigators learned from Herbst that he and his three co-defendants returned items to Walmart that morning and got a gift card. Once they had the gift card Herbst reported that he asked Sampson to sell it for him, which he did.
The four of them then took that money and went to Paterson to purchase what Herbst told investigators was fentanyl. Herbst reported that they all used the fentanyl on the ride back from Paterson.
Herbst also stated in his interview that the majority of the "heroin" in Monroe County right now is all fentanyl and/or Xylazine, a newer drug also referred to as "Tranq."
Immediately after Herbst allegedly sold the fentanyl to the undercover officer, members of the DA's Office's Criminal Investigations Division took all four into custody.
While taking them into custody bundles of drugs were falling out of the vehicle. When the vehicle was searched investigators found just over four bundles of heroin/fentanyl, all bearing the same stamp of the bags Herbst sold to the officer.
Charges were filed by Detective Kim Lippincott of the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney, Criminal Investigations Division at MDJ Kristina Anzini’s court and all four defendants are currently lodged at the Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m., April 24.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Four arrested after man sells undercover cop drugs at Poconos Wawa
