Philadelphia man sent to prison for drug trafficking in Pottstown

NORRISTOWN — A Philadelphia man is headed to prison on drug trafficking charges after he was arrested by detectives conducting an undercover operation that focused on open-air drug sales in Pottstown.

Joseph Henderson, 31, of the 3900 block of Melon Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 1½ to 3 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in connection with incidents that occurred in June 2024 in Pottstown.

Judge Wendy G. Rothstein imposed the sentence as part of a plea agreement.

The investigation began in June 2024 when Pottstown police and county detectives launched a joint undercover operation in the borough that focused on felony narcotics violations.

During that operation, an undercover detective with the Montgomery County Drug Task Force purchased suspected fentanyl from Henderson, according to the criminal complaint filed by borough police and county detectives.

On June 25, detectives established surveillance in the 400 block of East High Street and observed Henderson engage in drug activity, including two hand-to-hand drug transactions, according to the arrest affidavit.

When detectives made contact with Henderson they found him possessing 11 bags of suspected crack cocaine and eight bags of suspected crystal methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint.

Additionally, detectives alleged that Henderson possessed the marked currency that was previously used by the undercover detective to purchase fentanyl from Henderson.

Based on their training, detectives alleged the crack cocaine and crystal methamphetamine were possessed by Henderson with the intent to deliver.

In the criminal complaint, detectives alleged Henderson had a criminal history that included previous convictions for drug and weapons offenses and was on state parole at the time of the latest investigation into the open-air drug sales in Pottstown.

“It is the opinion of your affiants that Joseph Henderson is a danger to the community…,” detectives wrote in the criminal complaint.

A charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was dismissed against Henderson as part of the plea agreement.