By John Chambless
Staff Writer

A former state trooper at the Avondale barracks is under arrest on drug charges, according to a bulletin issued by state police on Aug. 15.

Trooper Jose Lebron has been a trooper since 2008, and is now suspended without pay. He had been part of the troop's vice unit. The Chester County district attorney's office is prosecuting the case. Lebron will have a preliminary hearing on Aug. 19.

According to published reports and court documents, Lebron was caught purchasing cocaine from an informant on Aug. 12.

The informant told investigators that Lebron had been giving the informant money to purchase drugs for him. The informant testified that he saw Lebron snort cocaine. Lebron started to pay the informant with cocaine to sell because his supervisors at the Avondale barracks thought he was paying the informant too much for his assistance.

In early August, State Police investigators set up a deal in which the informant would sell high-grade cocaine to Lebron. The deal was set up for Aug. 12 at the parking lot of the McDonald's in New Garden Township. Lebron, driving his police-issued vehicle, met with the informant and got 3.5 grams of cocaine. During the deal, Lebron told the informant to go to a nearby Dollar General parking lot to pay him. State Police then arrested Lebron after watching the transaction. All of the communications on Lebron's department-issued phone, as well as the drug transaction, were recorded.

Lebron is facing a felony charge of criminal use of a communication facility, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is free on $5,000 bail, pending his hearing this week.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].