Alleged opioid dealer arrested

Joseph Galanti, 24, was dealing OxyContin and heroin, according to Towamencin police

After an investigation, Towamencin detectives have arrested a 24-year-old Montgomery Township man accused of dealing prescription opioid pills and heroin in the area, according to police.

Joseph Robert Galanti, of the 100 block of Clayton Court, has been charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility, as well as misdemeanor counts of receipt in commerce of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana.

Court documents indicate that after a police investigation that included surveillance and controlled drug buys, Towamencin detectives obtained a search warrant for Galanti’s residence and raided his home on Friday evening along with Montgomery Township police, Montgomery County detectives and members of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Local Drug Task Force.

Seized from Galanti’s home were 80 OxyContin pills with a street value of $1,600, as well as two bundles (approximately 28 individual bags) of suspected her-

oin hidden inside socks in a laundry basket and an additional 11 bags of suspected heroin on Galanti’s person — the heroin had a street value of $390, police said in an affidavit of probable cause.

Cops also found and seized a gram of marijuana spotted on a kitchen table; a marijuana grinder and glass marijuana pipe; and $413 in cash that included marked bills used during controlled buys of prescription pills, the affidavit indicates.

A cellphone belonging

to Galanti was also taken from the home, and Galanti later provided written consent for a search of the phone, which yielded “both clear communications and coded communications by drug customers seeking to buy controlled substances from [Galanti],” documents state.

Galanti was arraigned in district court Saturday morning and then committed to Montgomery County jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail.

Galanti posted bond Monday and was released from custody, jail records indicated Monday.

A preliminary hearing is set for May 26.