Alleged Heroin Dealer Heads to County Court on Drug Charges

A resident of Derstine Avenue in Lansdale is heading to Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas on heroin possession and distribution charges following the waiver of a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning at Lansdale district court.

John Nicholas Gallagher, 45, is charged with felony manufacture, deliver and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance; and misdemeanor possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.

Lansdale Police were led to Gallagher after two defendants in a June 2012 undercover prostitution bust told police they allegedly bought their heroin from Gallagher, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

During the bust of alleged prostitutes Kristen Rachel Stephen, 29, of West Main Street, and Janet Lee DeFrancesco, 34, of Danny Lane in Harleysville, , according to court documents. 

There were about 100 empty blue glassine heroin bags stamped "Top Dog." According to an affidavit of probable cause, Stephen and DeFrancesco told police they allegedly bought their heroin from a white male named "John G.," later identified as Gallagher.

Gallagher has a history of opiate abuse and has had numerous contacts with Lansdale Police, according to the affidavit.

In mid-June 2012, a confidential informant contacted Lansdale Police and told them that Gallagher was allegedly dealing heroin from his home at 527 Derstine Avenue, according to the affidavit.

Two separate controlled purchases of heroin were allegedly made from Gallagher by the informant inside his home, according to the affidavit.

As a result of the investigation, on June 21, 2012, a search and seizure application was approved by District Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser in Souderton for Gallagher's home, according to the affidavit.

On June 22, at 4:56 p.m., Lansdale Police officers executed the search and seizure warrant on Gallagher's home, according to the affidavit.

Gallagher was home at the time of the warrant, police said.

According to the affidavit, Gallagher allegedly threw three bundles of heroin behind his front door when police entered the home.

Gallagher was also found with another bundle of heroin allegedly in his possession when taken into custody, according to the affidavit.

All in all, four bundles totaling 40 bags of heroin were recovered from Gallagher's home, according to the affidavit.

Half of the bags were stamped "Top Dog," according to the affidavit.

Hypodermic needles were also recovered from Gallagher himself and from his home, according to the affidavit.

Police said a tin box was found in the kitchen freezer containing a checkbook in Gallagher's name and a ledger with documented drug sales and proceeds.

Gallagher has remained free on $7,500 bail since June.

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