A man who was serving on probation is accused of selling drugs that led to several nonfatal overdoses.
Johnathan Rivera, 25, of Bristol Borough, was arraigned from a state correctional institution on a drug-related charge and criminal use of a communication facility.
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According to court papers, a Bucks County probation and parole officer alerted Bucks County Detectives that Rivera was taking orders and selling drugs to residents of the recovery home he was living in along Durham Road in Middletown. Using his court-ordered GPS, the probation and parole officer tracked him movements to an area of Philadelphia known for heroin sales.
Bucks County Detective David Hanks wrote in paperwork that the probation and parole officer searched Rivera’s room at the recovery home and recovered two cell phones, one featuring text messages that appeared to discuss the drug trade.
On December 15, 2016, two residents of the recovery home had nonfatal overdoses. The two both said they had obtained heroin from Rivera.
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An examination of a bag recovered by Middletown police was sent to a testing facility in Montgomery County. The lab turned in results that indicated the bag tested positive for heroin and fentanyl, a synthetic opioid pain medication known for its rapid onset and potency, police said.
Two other residents at the recovery home said they received heroin from Rivera but did not overdose, police said.
One bag of drugs recovered by authorities was labeled “3cumbag.”
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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.
