A man was convicted Wednesday and accused of selling drugs with a teenager in San Francisco’s Tenderloin, the district attorney’s office said.
The DA’s office said 31-year-old Francisco Maradiaga was convicted of three counts of solicitation of a minor to sell narcotics and three counts of possession for sale or purchase of narcotics – fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Officials said testimony and evidence presented at trial revealed San Francisco police was conducting a narcotics spotting operation in the area of O’Farrell and Hyde streets at around 4 p.m. on March 13 when Maradiaga was observed leaning against a parked car next to a 15-year-old.
According to authorities, Maradiaga and the teen were observed conducting a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction. Officers also observed a man approach Maradiaga and the teen and engage in a conversation, officials report.
The DA’s office said the teen then took out a bag of individually packaged narcotics from a black bag strapped across Maradiaga’s chest and provided it to the man, who then handed cash to the teen and walked away.
Officers arrested Maradiaga and recovered dozens of individually packaged narcotics in his bag and jacket, including 10.6 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of cocaine base and 27.3 grams of methamphetamine, the DA’s office said.
Police also recovered $879 in cash from the minor, officials said.
The DA’s office said Maradiaga is in custody pending sentencing, and he faces up to 12 years in custody.