Police Say A Bucks Co. Man Had $20K Worth Of Fentanyl; Charged With Felony Trafficking

POTTSTOWN, PA — A Bucks County man has been arrested after he was found in the borough possessing $20,000 worth of the deadly opiate drug fentanyl that was packaged for sale.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office has charged Naim Payton, 23, of Morrisville, Bucks County, with felony drug trafficking after he was found with large quantities of fentanyl.

Authorities say Montgomery County law enforcement learned that Payton would be in Pottstown this past Monday to sell a large quantity of uncut fentanyl, and that he was ultimately spotted by county detectives in the area of the 400 block of North Evans Street around 6 p.m. on that day.

Detectives intercepted Payton and found him to be in possession of 1,500 bags of uncut fentanyl that were individually packaged for sale in 10-baggie bundles, with five bundles packaged into a 'brick,' and five of those bricks packaged together into what is known as a 'rack' of the drug, according to a police criminal complaint filed by Michael Laverty, a detective with the Upper Merion Township Police Department who works with the Montgomery County Detective Bureau's Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Investigators say the street value of the drugs was $20,000.

"Fentanyl is continuing to kill Montgomery County residents at an alarming rate, even as methamphetamine is becoming more prevalent throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement. "This significant arrest and seizure will make Montgomery County a safer place. The message is clear to drug dealers: no matter what poison you are selling —fentanyl, opioids, heroin or methamphetamine — don't do it in Montgomery County."

Payton is facing felony charges of possession with intent to deliver, as well as possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

He was arraigned on Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Scott T. Palladino, who set bail at $150,000.

Bail was subsequently reviewed and modified to $99,000, after which Payton was sent to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility for failing to post bail.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 19 before Judge Palladino.