Jackson Blakely

CENTER TWP — State narcotics agents arrested a 21-year-old suspected drug dealer at his home Wednesday on the 400 block of Holyoke Road.

Jackson R. Blakely is accused of using an associate in Lawrence County to traffic cocaine and marijuana.

Blakely's arrest culminated an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics that utilized a customer-turned-informant, authorities said.

Blakely was arraigned on felony charges of running a corrupt organization, criminal use of a communication facility and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

He is being held in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail.

The investigation targeted Blakely after an informant provided information about the defendant's drug-dealing operation, according to charging documents.

The informant identified Blakely as a source of previous drug purchases, investigators said. He claimed he has known the defendant for a number of years and bought cocaine from him on a weekly basis.

Additionally, the informant offered the first name of Blakely's alleged associate, who lives in Volant.

The defendant is accused of using the associate's home to stash his cocaine and currency.

Investigators eventually tapped the informant to make a controlled cocaine buy from Blakely, documents said.

The alleged deal on April 4 was set up using the Snapchat application. The defendant later sent a text message telling the informant to call his associate. The text included the associate's cell phone number.

An agent subsequently drove the informant to the associate's home, in accordance with instructions received during the phone call.

The informant went into the house, with investigators conducting surveillance nearby, and bought cocaine, documents said.

A second similar deal was attempted days later. But Blakely said he did not have any cocaine that day, authorities said, and instead he offered the informant an alternative product — “Moon Rocks.”

Moon Rocks are a form of synthetic marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The informant, as he did as part of the previous controlled buy, went to the associate's home, where he bought the suspected marijuana.

Agents noted that following the deal, Blakely arrived at the house.

District Judge Bill O'Donnell issued agents a search warrant Tuesday night for Blakely's house. The results of that search were not immediately available.

It also was not known if any other arrests are pending in the investigation.

Blakely is already awaiting trial in Butler County in two unrelated criminal cases, according to court records.

Butler police arrested him in one case in November 2017 after they said they found him with a stolen handgun. He was placed in the county prison, but later released after posting bail.

He is facing felony charges of receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm without a concealed carry license.

In the other pending case, Blakely is charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia stemming from an incident at a Butler Township motel in April 2018.