Man Kept Heroin Under Toddler's Bed, Police Say
Nicholas Maietta charged following drug raid at West Ward home.
Easton police say a West Ward man stored his stash of heroin under the bed where his two-year-old son slept.
Nicholas Maietta, 24 of 1051 Northampton St., was arrested Thursday morning following a raid at his apartment.
According to police, officers from the city's vice/narcotics and special response units served a search warrant on the apartment just after 6 a.m. and found two adults, a two-year-old child, and a pitbull.
Police say they discovered about $2400 worth of heroin, illegal prescription drugs and a small amount of marijuana.
Lt. Matthew Gerould said the heroin was discovered under the bed where the little boy was sleeping with his parents. It was not locked down and the child could have accessed it, Gerould said.
Maietta charged with possession with the intent to deliver heroin, as well as possession with the intent to deliver and delivery of oxycodone and criminal use of a communication facility, based on a previous drug investigation.
According to court papers, Maietta sold oxycodone during a pair of "controlled purchases" by police in the last week.
He was arraigned before District Judge Richard Yetter in Wilson, and send to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $65,000 bail.
The other adult inside the home, Brittany Sember, will be charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police say this information has been forwarded to the Northampton County Children and Youth office.
Dave Rex
11:32 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Had the dog been a Labrador retriever or a dachshund or any other breed, would the breed have been mentioned? On behalf of all the gentle and loving bully breeds in the west ward: we resent the implication of guilt by association.
Tom Coombe
12:34 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
I can't speak for the police, but if their report had noted that a Labrador retriever was present, or any other animal, I'd have mentioned it. I like my stories to have detail whenever possible. I'm sorry that pitbulls have gotten such a bad rap. I'm sorry that a dog had to live in a house where drugs were allegedly present.