A Barnesville man recently found not guilty of supplying a fatal dose of fentanyl to a Tamaqua woman on Wednesday lost a bid to reduce his bail on new charges of selling the deadly drug to undercover agents.

Kyle J. Merenda, 23, also waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges before District Judge Christina E. Hale of Frackville.

He’s charged with selling the powerful narcotic to an undercover agent in Ryan Township on Dec. 18, 2017.

Merenda, who represented himself at the hearing, asked Hale to reduce his $25,000 cash bail.

Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael A. O’Pake, who is prosecuting the case, said he “strongly objected” to a reduction.

O’Pake referred to Merenda’s recent trial on charges of drug delivery resulting in death.

While saying Merenda should not be judged by those charges because he was found not guilty, O’Pake said it proves Merenda understands the lethal qualities of the drug.

“The citizens of Schuylkill County would really be at risk with Mr. Merenda walking around the streets,” he said.

Hale agreed. She said that bail is not a punishment; rather, it’s a way to making sure a defendant doesn’t flee and is not a threat or danger to the public.

“These are some pretty serious felony drug charges,” she told Merenda.

Merenda told Hale on June 20 and on Wednesday that he had applied for a public defender. The public defender’s office said it has not received an application.

The next step for Merenda is county court on two felony charges of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance; a felony charge of criminal use of communication facility; and a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance by person not registered.

He also has a detainer from Hazleton police, who charged him with three felony counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, and one count each of intent to possess a controlled substance by a person not registered and use/possession of drug paraphernalia on Jan. 11, 2018.

Merenda on June 15 waived his right to a preliminary hearing in that case, and two of the felony counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance were advanced to Luzerne County court.

The remaining charges were dropped.

A Schuylkill County jury on June 12 found Merenda not guilty of drug delivery resulting in death in the case of Alexandria “Alex” Sienkiewicz, 23, of Tamaqua.

Sienkiewicz died of an overdose of fentanyl on April 2, 2016.