About $18,000 worth of marijuana and 19 marijuana plants were found in home on Winter Avenue in Middletown, according to police.
Credit: Middletown Twp. Police
The home in the Langhorne section of the township came under investigation in January after a United State Postal Inspector intercepted a package addressed to the residence. According to court papers, the package was filled with about three and a half pounds of marijuana.
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A Middletown police detective along with a United State Postal Inspector and a Bucks County detective set up a surveillance operation on January 16.
The drug-filled box was delivered by an undercover postal inspector, who is a federal law enforcement agent, to a door and the surveillance operation began, according to court papers.
A 15-year-old boy who lived at the Winter Avenue address picked up the box and took it inside the house, court papers say.
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At that point, investigators moved in and took the teen out of the house and spotted the box outside of a locked bedroom, according to court documents.
David Leighton, 24, answered the locked door after several knocks, police said.
According to police:
A search of Leighton room’s uncovered numerous water bongs, grinders and pipes. A safe with an “owe sheet,” five large source bags and marijuana was also in the room. Sandwich bags and a digital scale with marijuana residue was also found along with three cell phones.
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“There items are consistent with the breakdown and repackaging for the sale of drugs and are items commonly located in the presence of someone who sells drugs,” Middletown Detective David Strother wrote in court documents.
When Leighton spoke with investigators, he said the drugs were sent to him as part of a deal that would have netted him several hundred dollars, court papers say.
Several weeks later, Leighton wrote out a confession to police, according to court papers.
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Police searched the cell phones and found “many” instant and text messages relating to the sale of drugs, court papers say.
Strother said the marijuana plants were located in a closet in the Winter Avenue house.
Leighton was charged Thursday morning with several drug offenses and arraigned before District Judge Joseph Falcone. He was sent to county jail on 10 percent of $150,000.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
