Franklin County sheriff’s deputies booked a Meadville man on Monday on drug charges stemming from an undercover operation that took place earlier this year.
Cenia Ford, 24, 5615 Southwest Bunkley Road, faces charges of selling a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and a probation violation.
Franklin County Sheriff James Newman said deputies observed Ford selling prescription pills during undercover operations that began several months ago.
He said instead of arresting Ford right away, they left him alone as part of an investigative tactic.
Last week, however, highway patrolmen pulled Ford over on a traffic stop and allegedly found drugs on him.
“He was found to be in possession of a substance. I believe it was cocaine or marijuana,” Newman said.
Ford was booked into the Franklin County jail on the possession charges, which prompted deputies to close their undercover operations and file the earlier drug charges.
He was then transferred to the Amite County jail for housing purposes, the sheriff said.
Ford also faces a felony charge of probation violation, since both incidents occurred while he was on house arrest.
“He has at least two other felonies on his record,” Newman said. “One of them was drug related.”
Ford is being held in the Amite County jail. No bond had been set as of this morning.
“It is so many of them out there right now in violation of their probation, testing hot for drugs, but they’re not doing anything with them,” Newman said.
