A Reading man has been arrested after investigators said he received about 5 pounds of cocaine through the mail.
Paulino Sena-Trinidad, 34, of the 300 block of South 11th Street was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Alvin Robinson on charges of conspiracy, manufacturing, delivering or possession of a controlled substance with an intent to distribute; possession of a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a firearm without a license.
He was committed to Berks County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
According to police:
Earlier this month, inspectors for the U.S. Postal Service identified a package as suspicious and seized it. The 11.25-inch-by-8.75-inch-by-6-inch box had a priority mail label and was addressed to a residence in the 100 block of West Greenwich Street.
Inspectors obtained a federal search warrant and opened the package, discovering two bricks of cocaine totaling just over 5 pounds.
The inspectors worked with agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and state police to set up a sting. They replaced most of the cocaine with a sham substance and delivered it to the West Greenwich Street address.
Within two minutes of delivery, state police saw Sena-Trinidad drive up to the home, grab the package and return it to his vehicle.
He was taken into custody.