CLEARFIELD – A Bellefonte man accused of selling drugs to a confidential informant waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Steven Veres is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered.
According to court records on Oct. 29, 2007 an undercover officer met with a CI in Karthaus. The CI had arranged a buy for heroin from Veres in Karthaus. The CI told the officer that the purchase would take place inside Veres’ vehicle and that the CI would attempt to stay in the officer’s view. The CI was searched and found to be free of contraband and money.
Around 5:50 p.m. the officer and CI arrived at the Riverfront Bar along state Route 879 in Karthaus. The CI was advised not to pay for the heroin until the officer could inspect it. At 5:55 Veres arrived in a white GM extended cab, full-sized truck. Veres was reportedly wearing sunglasses, with a salt-and-pepper hair and beard.
He pulled in and the CI approached his vehicle and the two talked briefly before the CI returned to the officer with eight stamp bags of heroin marked “Much Better.” The CI told the officer that that he only had eight bags and wanted $250. The officer examined the bag, found it was seemingly untampered with and gave the CI official funds. The officer took the evidence and the CI returned to Veres’ vehicle and paid him. The CI returned and said that Veres wanted the CI to go with him to show him where someone lived.
The CI told Veres he would meet him up the road at a church. This gave the officer the opportunity to run Veres’ registration. The officer permitted to the CI to accompany Veres so as not to raise suspicion. The CI was not searched at that time, and the officer noted that the CI was never completely out of his view.
The officer, using J-Net, confirmed Veres’ identity as the driver of the truck.
The officer field tested the contents of the bag at the state police barracks in Woodland. The contents registered positive. A lab report also identified the contents as heroin.
The next day the officer and the CI met again. Earlier the CI told the officer that Veres told him he had 15 stamp bags of heroin he wanted to sell. Veres had parked on the opposite side of the building, so the undercover officer and CI went around the building to meet with Veres.
The CI partially entered Veres’ vehicle. He came out and told the officer that Veres could only sell him 10 bags and that he wanted $300. The officer counted out the amount in $50’s and handed them to the CI, who then handed the money over to Veres. The CI was then given the bags of suspected heroin, marked “Much Better,” and he gave it to the officer.
That batch was sent to be tested and came back positive for heroin.
