WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre man awaiting sentencing on felony drug trafficking charges was arrested when city police and state police, Troop P, Vice and Narcotics Unit allegedly found a large amount of illegal narcotics, packaging materials and a firearm inside his residence occupied by children Wednesday.
Benjamin Stefon Dent, 36, was arrested when authorities served a search warrant at his apartment on Maffett Street finding large quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, a blender and mixing bowl with residue and a 9mm pistol with ammunition, according to court records.
Police in court records say there was an 11-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy inside the apartment in close proximity of the illegal narcotics.
During a search of the apartment, various types of narcotics were found next to children’s toys, court records say.
Dent was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo in Plains Township on five counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, four counts of endangering the welfare of children, and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of a firearm. He was jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility as Spagnuolo deemed him a flight risk and two open drug trafficking cases.
Court records say Dent was free on $350,000 total bail on two separate drug trafficking cases when he was arrested Wednesday.
In those cases, Dent was arrested twice by state police in June 2022 for trafficking fentanyl and heroin from a motel on state Route 315 in Plains Township, court records say.
Dent pled guilty on Monday to separate counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of children related to his arrest in June 2022. Dent is scheduled to be sentenced May 3.