NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man arrested during what investigators called a “hotel detail” in Pottstown has admitted to trafficking fentanyl in the borough.
Tony Hartman, 23, of the 400 block of North Busti Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl in connection with a November 2021 incident in Pottstown.
The open guilty plea means Hartman has no deals with prosecutors regarding his potential sentence.
Judge Thomas M. DelRicci, who will have sole discretion in fashioning the sentence, deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a house arrest suitability assessment requested by the defense for Hartman.
Hartman remains free on bail pending sentencing.
The investigation began on Nov. 5, 2021, when Pottstown police and county detectives conducted a “hotel detail” in the borough.
Pottstown Police Officer Andrew Licwinko wrote in a criminal complaint that the hotel detail was intended to identify people involved in illegal activity, including the use and sale of controlled substances, at hotels and motels in the borough.
As part of the detail, investigators set up surveillance in the area of American’s Best Value Inn in the unit block of East High Street and observed Hartman leave a room with another man, Tymon Abdulkaseem Brown, and get into a vehicle and travel to a King Street location and park behind a second vehicle.
“Officers observed Hartman exit the vehicle and go to the parked vehicle and lean into the driver side window and there was a brief interaction between Hartman and the male occupant of this vehicle,” Licwinko alleged.
Hartman then returned to his vehicle and left the King Street location and returned to the motel.
“Based on my training, experience and knowledge, I believed this short in duration meeting and the interactions between Hartman and the male occupant is consistent with a drug transaction. It is common for drug dealers to meet at locations for short period of time,” Licwinko alleged.
A short time later, Hartman and Brown left the motel room carrying bags from the room and placed them in the back seat of the car Hartman was driving.
Police approached the vehicle and detained Hartman and Brown.
Hartman was taken into custody for suspected fentanyl found in the area where he was seated. When Brown exited the vehicle a bundle of suspected heroin/fentanyl fell to the ground, police alleged.
Brown was found possessing two bundles of suspected heroin/fentanyl and $2,015 cash, according to court papers.
Hartman claimed ownership of the vehicle and he gave police consent to search the vehicle.
During a search of the vehicle, police found two bundles of suspected heroin/fentanyl on the passenger floor, a single wax bag of suspected heroin/fentanyl on the driver’s seat and two iPhones, according to court papers.
Brown told police “there would be stuff on his phone pertaining to him selling drugs,” according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators subsequently downloaded the content from the phones and located “numerous conversations where Brown was involved in the sale of heroin/fentanyl,” police wrote in the arrest affidavit.
With the charges, police alleged the drugs were possessed by Hartman and Brown with the intent to deliver them.
Other charges of criminal use of a communication facility, dealing in proceeds of unlawful acts and possession of controlled substances are slated to be dismissed against Hartman at time of sentencing.
Brown, 22, of the unit block of North 10th Street, Darby, Delaware County, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and as part of a plea agreement was sentenced to 432 days time served to 23 months in jail, to be followed by one year of probation.
