Man found guilty of drug traficking
A former Pottstown man who represented himself at trial was convicted of drug traffickingrelated charges
NORRISTOWN >> A Pottstown man faces about a decade of court supervision after he admitted to trafficking heroin and fentanyl in the borough.
Dean Christopher Mershon, 25, of the 200 block of North Charlotte Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½-to-23months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession with intent to deliver heroin and fentanyl in connection with incidents that occurred in the borough in November 2016.
Judge Steven T. O’Neill also ordered Mershon to complete eight years’ probation following parole, meaning Mershon will be under court supervision for about 10 years.
Court documents indicate that Mershon was the subject of an investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Narcotics Enforcement Team and the district attorney’s local drug task force in November 2016.
Detectives learned that a drug transaction involving fentanyl/heroin was scheduled to occur between Mershon and another unidentified individual at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and North Evans Street on Nov. 29, according to the criminal complaint. Detectives placed the area under surveillance and observed Mershon leave his residence and walk to Lincoln Avenue and meet with another individual.
Mershon walked to the passenger side window of the other individual’s car and handed him two and a half bundles of suspected fentanyl/heroin in exchange for cash, detectives alleged in the arrest affidavit.
“Detectives moved in on Dean Mershon and told him that he was under arrest. Mershon fled the scene on foot and fought with arresting officers once he was caught,” detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit, adding Mershon exhibited “significant resistance” and had to be subdued with a Taser device.
The drugs that Mershon sold to the other individual, the phone he used to set up the deal and the currency used to pay for the drugs were recovered by detectives.
Detectives subsequently searched Mershon’s apartment and recovered a bulk quantity of fentanyl/heroin, drug packaging materials and a digital scale, according to the criminal complaint.
Based upon their training and experience, detectives alleged the seized bulk quantity of drugs, packaging materials and digital scale were “consistent with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance,” and not for personal use.
Other charges of possession of controlled substances, criminal use of a communication facility, resisting arrest and criminal mischief were dismissed against Mershon in exchange for his guilty plea to the more serious drug trafficking-related charges.