A Jim Thorpe man entered a guilty plea to a drug dealing charge on Thursdayin Carbon County court before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Matteo Puddu, 28, entered guilty pleas in two pending cases to one count each of criminal conspiracy to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance - heroin.Puddu was arrested on the possession with intent charge as the result of an ongoing investigation by the state Attorney General office and the county drug task force. The investigation followed the time frame of December 2014 to March 2015. Police allege Puddu participated in the sale of narcotics in various locations in the county.The second arrest was made by the vice unit of the state police at the Hazleton barracks. Puddu was involved in a controlled buy made by a confidential informant working for troopers.The sale was made at the Gypsy Hill Garden apartments in Lehighton on Feb. 9, 2015. He was involved in the sale of 10 to 30 packets of heroin to the CI.Serfass told Puddu that state sentencing guidelines call for a prison term at the time of sentencing.Serfass, at the request of defense counsel attorney Cynthia Yurchak, ordered the adult probation office prepare a presentence investigation report.Puddu was one of 11 people arrested for taking part in a drug trafficking operation allegedly responsible for distributing $1.5 million worth of heroin in Carbon County over a four-month period.Arrested with Puddu at the time were Curtis Margle, Jason R. Will, David Allen Anthony Jr. and Brittany Michele Vincent, all of Carbon County; Joshua Ynoe Mejia, Bradesky Santos Jr., Anthony Jordan Vega and Erik Feliz, all of Luzerne County; Cynthia Ann Hippenstiel of Columbia County; and Robert Alan Fox of Bucks County.The investigation was coined "Operation 93 Pipeline."