Drug-buy sting sends Zelienople man to prison
A Zelienople man was sentenced to state prison Thursday, after being charged with selling heroin.
Jesse T. Lackovic, 21, was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in state prison, and ordered to pay court costs and $200 in fines by Butler County Judge Timothy McCune. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communications facility.
Cranberry Township Police and county Drug Task Force officers initially charged Lackovic with 21 counts — including seven counts of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts of criminal use of a communications facility, conspiracy to possession with intent, and four counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia — after an investigation between Feb. 9 and Feb. 19. Police used a confidential informant to buy narcotics from Lackovic, according to court documents.
Armed with a search warrant, police raided Lackovic's home on Lacona Lane and found 70 bags of suspected heroin and other drug contraband, as well as two loaded handguns. One of those guns, a .380-caliber pistol, Lackovic admitted, was given to him ”as payment for heroin,” documents said.
