A New Jersey man is accused of exchanging $50,000 worth of suspected fentanyl for cash with an undercover state trooper Thursday in New Stanton, according to court papers.
Police said Leonardo A. Ramirez, 45, of Passaic, parked in a lot on West Byers Avenue at 8 p.m. and met with a person who he believed was a street level dealer. That person was a trooper.
During the exchange, authorities said, the two talked briefly and the undercover trooper handed over a backpack with cash inside. Investigators did not specify the amount of cash in court papers. A person who was with Ramirez verified the money before the suspect handed over 100 bricks of suspected fentanyl in a grocery bag, according to court papers.
Authorities proceeded to make an arrest. Police said there were about 5,000 stamp bags of drugs in the grocery bag.
Fentanyl is an opioid deadlier than heroin that has been the top killer in fatal Westmoreland County drug overdoses since 2016, according to coroner statistics. In 2021, it contributed to 137 of the 168 deaths.
Authorities have said fentanyl has been seen mixed with other drugs in recent years, including heroin, cocaine and counterfeit pills. A shift from heroin to fentanyl is more lucrative for drug dealers because fentanyl is much more powerful than heroin and, as a result, less is needed.
Ramirez is charged with drug offenses. He was being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $250,000 bail.
He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. An Aug. 31 preliminary hearing is set.
It was unclear whether the person who accompanied Ramirez would be facing charges. No related case had been filed Friday afternoon.
