Dealer Pleads Guilty After Traffic Stop Reveals Hidden Kilo of Cocaine

A 40-year-old Reading man pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to distribute, after a in Charlestown revealed a stash of cocaine in his vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Vazquez was told he was free to go after being issued a warning for speeding and window tint, but he kept answering questions and agreed to a search of his Lincoln Navigator.

Below is the full press release from the Chester County District Attorney's office:

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan announced the conviction of Felix Vazquez for drug dealing. The defendant pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over a kilogram of cocaine. The defendant was sentenced to 9-20 years in state prison.

The defendant was a resident of Reading, Pennsylvania. He is 40 years old. The defendant also is known by the name “Felix Romero.”

The defendant was arrested on March 19, 2012 in Charlestown Township, Chester

County. Members of the Pennsylvania State Police initially stopped the defendant for speeding. Trooper Justin Hope and Trooper Jason Laudermilch then located over a kilogram of cocaine in a hidden compartment in the defendant’s Lincoln Navigator. The defendant has a prior conviction for dealing drugs.

District Attorney Hogan stated, “Chester County residents sometimes ask whether large amounts of drugs are in our County. Here is your answer. We caught this defendant with over a kilo of cocaine. The hidden compartment in the defendant’s vehicle could have and probably has held over 10 kilos before. The District Attorney’s Drug Unit, working with state and local police, will continue to lock up drug dealers who bring this poison into Chester County.”

The defendant’s Lincoln Navigator was forfeited as part of this case. The cocaine in the defendant’s possession has a wholesale price of approximately $30,000. The street value is approximately $100,000.

Assistant District Attorney Chris deBarrena­Sarobe, part of the DA’s Drug Unit, stated, “This is a perfect example of how a case isn’t always what it seems at the beginning. Something relatively benign, like a speeding ticket, when placed in the hands of a highly trained, sophisticated and observant officer, can end up taking down even the most clever drug dealers. These interdiction officers are tremendous assets to Chester County.”