Police Say State College Man Sold Drugs to Confidential Informant

A State College man is facing felony drug charges after police say he sold controlled substances to a confidential informant.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Patton Township Police on Monday, an informant told investigators on Dec. 8, 2016, that Dustin D. Hicks, 26, had recently contacted the informant about purchasing Suboxone, which is used to treat narcotic addiction but itself has a high risk for addiction. The informant claimed to have purchased marijuana from Hicks in the past.

Police said the informant arranged by text message to purchase five Suboxone pills for $100. Under surveillance by two detectives, the informant went to Hicks’ Science Park Road residence and reportedly made the controlled purchase.

The pills were later sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Lab for testing and were confirmed to contain buprenorphine, a schedule III controlled substance contained in Suboxone, police said.

According to the complaint, a second controlled purchase was arranged by text message on Jan. 26, with the informant again going to Hicks’ residence and purchasing five pills of Sublingual, another drug containing buprenorphine, for $150. The State Police lab later confirmed the pills contained buprenorphine, police said.

Hicks was charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and criminal use of a communication facility, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance.

He was arraigned Monday before District Judge Kelley Gillette Walker, with straight bail set at $50,000.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 5.