Jury convicts former Pottstown man of drug trafficking
NORRISTOWN >> A former Pottstown man who represented himself at trial was convicted by a jury of drug trafficking-related charges in connection with incidents in the borough and in Lower Providence.
Daniel Garcia, 40, formerly of the 300 block of Diamond Street, was convicted in Montgomery County Court of charges of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and heroin or fentanyl, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal use of a communication facility and persons not to possess firearms in connection with incidents that occurred in June 2018.
The jury rendered the verdict after a two-day trial before Judge Todd D. Eisenberg.
Eisenberg immediately increased Garcia’s bail to $500,000 cash and Garcia, unable to post the bail, was remanded to the county jail to await his sentencing hearing later this year.
Garcia, who most recently listed an address in the 1500 block of Haak Street in Reading, potentially faces more than a decade in prison on the charges.
An investigation of Garcia began in May 2018 after concerned Pottstown citizens filed complaints with police that a man was selling heroin from the Diamond Street residence, according to the criminal complaint filed by Montgomery County detectives.
Detectives obtained surveillance video footage that showed Garcia in his white Chevy Astro van “conducting a suspected hand-tohand transaction with a person in another vehicle,” according to the criminal complaint. Detectives then initiated a narcotics investigation into “the drug distribution business of Daniel Garcia,” detectives wrote in court papers.
During the investigation, detectives identified a Facebook account that Garcia used to conduct narcotics transactions, according to the arrest affidavit.
On June 4, 2018, an undercover detective contacted Garcia via instant messaging to arrange the purchase of a bundle of heroin.
“During the messaging conversation, Daniel Garcia negotiated to supply one bundle of heroin to me in exchange for sexual favors,” the undercover detective wrote in the criminal complaint.
Garcia arranged to meet the undercover detective in a parking lot in the unit block of Eagleville Road in Lower Providence to conduct the alleged drug transaction and detectives placed the area under surveillance. When Garcia arrived at the location at 2:46 p.m. in his van, detectives moved in and arrested him, court papers indicate.
Detectives said Garcia was in possession of a large amount of cash and a search of his vehicle uncovered a bag containing about 26 bundles of suspected heroin, a knotted bag containing methamphetamine, a bag containing numerous suspected ecstasy pills and a P38 Ruger-style handgun and a magazine containing eight 9mm bullets, according to the criminal complaint.
Inside the vehicle, detectives also found a June 2 receipt for a self-storage facility in Spring City, Chester County, according to court papers. A subsequent search of a storage unit linked to Garcia on Mennonite Church Road, uncovered ammunition, a box of syringes and assorted drug paraphernalia, according to the criminal complaint.
When detectives searched Garcia’s Diamond Street residence they seized a safe containing a bulk quantity of methamphetamine as well as a digital scale, “a notebook containing drug sale info,” two boxes of 9mm ammunition and a glass jar with two bags of suspected marijuana, according to the arrest affidavit.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Douglas Lavenberg.