A 36-year-old Wisconsin man faces a felony charge after allegedly being caught in Duluth with 81 individually-wrapped packages of heroin, totaling 43 grams.
Mario Terrell Jackson of Appleton appeared Thursday in State District Court in Duluth on one count of felony first-degree controlled substance crime. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
According to the criminal complaint:
On Monday, members of the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force "were conducting a heroin investigation in downtown Duluth. The investigation was focused on a young adult male and female, both well-known heroin users and 'middle men' dealers."
Authorities received information that the two were receiving heroin from a supplier who was in Duluth. At about 1:25 p.m. Monday, authorities witnessed a man - identified as Jackson - allegedly engage in a hand-to-hand drug transaction with the male and female suspects at Second Avenue East and Third Street.
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Jackson then got into a cab, which was stopped on Lake Avenue.
During a search, investigators found $834 in cash and the 81 packages of heroin.
Bail for Jackson was set at $75,000 at a Thursday court hearing. He was not listed on the St. Louis County Jail online roster as of Friday afternoon.
Jackson's next court hearing is set for Aug. 10.
