Three men face drug trafficking charges following a controlled drug buy in Franklin Township.

Jeremiah Exner, 42, of Allentown, Jonathan Puppo, 34, of Albrightsville, and Davione Basim Warren, 34, of Catasauqua, have been charged in the incident.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Gabe Szozda of the Lehighton Borough Police Department:

On April 4, Szozda, along with an agent and members of the Carbon County Drug Task Force and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation met with a confidential informant to conduct drug trafficking investigations.

The informant contacted Puppo, who asked for a ride from Greenview Drive in Brodheadsville.

Records checks found multiple warrants for Puppo’s arrest from Carbon County and the state of Idaho.

The confidential informant and agent went to Brodheadsville and picked up Puppo, who directed them to Lehighton where “his guy Jeremiah” would be meeting them to sell fentanyl.

They pulled into the Shell Station along Interchange Road in Franklin Township, and Puppo called “Jeremiah,” who said he was delivering drugs to someone else in Lehighton and would meet them there shortly.

While waiting, the agent gave Puppo $400 to buy drugs. Puppo used some of this for five gallons of gasoline to not “look suspicious” while waiting.

At 10:04 p.m., a black Ford Explorer with Warren driving and Exner in the car, stopped at the pumps. Puppo walked over to the Ford Explorer and used the money supplied by the agent to buy fentanyl.

After the exchange, the agent’s vehicle and the Ford Explorer were stopped, and Puppo and the Explorer’s occupants were detained. Puppo had 30 packets and two baggies (with each containing a gram) of suspected fentanyl clenched in his fist. He also had a bag with 0.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine and various paraphernalia, including empty baggies and syringes.

Exner had $755 ($360 consisting of pre-recorded buy money), eight packets of fentanyl labeled “Adobo,” metal knuckles, and a straw. Warren had $242.

All three were transported to the Lehighton Borough Police Department, where Exner admitted that Warren was his drug supplier, and he owed Warren a large amount of money as a drug debt.

Exner also said he was with Warren upon being stopped because Warren brought the drugs today to sell to people for Exner to work off his debt. Exner said that they had sold to several people in the Lehighton area, with Warren driving, before they sold to Puppo and were stopped.

Puppo told police Exner was his dealer, and he would buy drugs from him every few days. Puppo also said he had seen Warren with Exner during previous deals.

Franklin Township officer Jared Green said he had received complaints saying the black Ford Explorer with a black male driver was meeting up with numerous people consistent with drug activity during the summer.

Exner faces charges of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent, criminal use of communication facility, criminal conspiracy, and intentional possession of controlled substance by person not registered.

Puppo faces charges on two counts of intentional possession controlled substance by person not required, and one count each of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, criminal use of communication facility, and conspiracy - manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver.

Warren faces charges on three counts of conspiracy - manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver.

Both Puppo and Warren are incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility, with Puppo in lieu of $150,000 monetary bail, and Warren in lieu of $75,000 monetary bail. Exner is free in lieu of $125,000 unsecured bail.

All three are scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge William J. Kissner of Palmerton.