(CNN) — A New Jersey man is facing several drug charges after he mistakenly texted a police officer to set up a drug sale, police said Tuesday in a news release.
According to the Township of Sparta Police Department, Nicholas Delear Jr. sent a text last week boasting about marijuana he had for sale to a number that just happened to belong to the 10-year-old son of Lt. Eric Danielson.
Danielson, of the nearby Andover Township Police Department in the northwestern part of the sate, stepped in and began texting Delear to set up a sting, according to police.
“I read the text message, and I was intrigued,” Danielson told CNN. “So we attempted to pretend to be who he thought he was texting.”
The exchange occurred on Friday, police said.
Delear arrived at a pizzeria later that evening where Danielson had arranged to meet him in their texts, police said. Soon afterward, Dealer was swarmed by police and placed under arrest, they said.
Police said they found more than 4 ounces of marijuana on Dealer, a digital pocket scale and $620 in cash.
Delear, who is 33 and resides in Sussex, New Jersey, is facing numerous charges, according to the Sparta police:
— Possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
— Possession of drug paraphernalia.
— Possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle.
— Several motor vehicle infractions.
He was released Saturday on his own recognizance and is due in court later this month.
The Sparta Police’s Facebook page has a picture of the money and the drugs they said came from the sting.
