Cocaine seized in raid in Spring Township - It is becoming more common for city dealers to get their drugs from suppliers in the suburbs, a county detective says

Berks County detectives arrested a man and a woman from Spring Township on drug trafficking charges after seizing crack cocaine from their residence, officials said Thursday.

Spring Township police assisted Wednesday in the arrests of Seth M. Holden, 24, and Jenna C. Jackson, 22, who share a unit in Lincoln Park Apartments in the 1300 block of Wyomissing Boulevard.

Authorities also arrested Donna M. Manna, 49, Reading, who investigators said dealt drugs supplied by Holden from her first-floor apartment in the 900 block of Elm Street.

Holden, Jackson and Manna were committed to Berks County Prison following arraignment in Reading Central Court on possessing and intending to deliver crack cocaine.

Holden was jailed in lieu of $300,000 bail. Jackson and Manna were jailed on $75,000 bail each.

Detectives with the Berks County district attorney's office said they began a drug investigation in August after receiving a tip from a confidential informant.

Keith A. Fister, chief county detective, said it is becoming more common for city dealers to get their drugs from suppliers who live in the suburbs. He said this is probably because suppliers want to get out of the city, where there is a much greater concentration of investigators targeting the illegal drug trade.

Fister provided this account:

On Aug. 3 and Aug. 17, undercover detectives bought crack cocaine from Manna after meeting her in her city apartment. Each time, Manna phoned Holden, who then drove from his residence to deliver the drugs to Manna's apartment.

On Wednesday morning, detectives set up surveillance outside Holden's apartment and followed him when he left in his car shortly before noon. With the help of Spring police, they stopped Holden at the Route 222 interchange and took him into custody.

A search of Holden found he had 67 small plastic packets of crack cocaine and $749. Detectives had arrested Manna a short time earlier. About 3 p.m. detectives arrested Jackson when they executed a search warrant of the apartment and seized about 80 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale, packaging materials, cutting agents and $2,000. About 100 grams of crack cocaine were seized. The drug would have had a street value of $5,000 if packaged for sale.