Teen Dad Sold Marijuana with Baby in Room, Police Say

With his 1-month-old daughter in the room, the infant’s 17-year-old father allegedly sold marijuana in an undercover buy last month in Pen Argyl, court records say.

The scene involving the baby girl and her teenage father was described in a criminal complaint by Plainfield Township against Nicole McElroy, 38, who is identified as the teen’s mother and the infant’s grandmother.

McElroy, of 110 W. Main St. in Pen Argyl, was charged with endangering the welfare of children, possession of marijuana and “prohibited acts, penalties” involving the use and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police also found a ledger “with [the names of] people who owed money for marijuana,” the complaint says.

The complaint also says that although the drug buy occurred at 10:30 p.m., the time frame covered under the endangering the welfare of children charge goes from 10:30 p.m. April 29 to 4 a.m. April 30.

The complaint—filed by a Plainfield Township police officer—does not say if McElroy’s son has been charged.

The complaint also says:

• Police set up a “buy/bust” at the W. Main Street home for 10:30 p.m. April 29. An ounce of marijuana was bought from the teen while his 1-month-old daughter was in the room.

• Also present was a male friend of the teen’s, McElroy and another female. After the buy, police “secured” the residence and the occupants.

• The next day, police served a search warrant at the home and found more marijuana as well as drug paraphernalia and “other items used to sell, smoke and package” marijuana. Police said the marijuana, paraphernalia and other items were “all throughout the residence.” The ledger with the names of people owing money for marijuana was found in a bedroom.

• The complaint also says of McElroy: “Due to the totality of the volume of narcotic equipment and items seized from each room, there is no way the defendant did not know what was going on in her residence.”

McElroy was arraigned around 5 p.m. Wednesday by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.

Charged Thursday night was the baby's mother, Sarah Foresta, 19, with the same address as Nicole McElroy -- 110 W. Main St., Pen Argyl.

The criminal complaint says Foresta was NOT at the house at the time of the undercover marijuana buy.

A Plainfield officer spoke to her by phone. Complaint says she "denied knowing anything about the drug activity at first." But the officer "confronted" her with items found in the house (pot, paraphernalia, a ledger with names of people who owe money for pot). She "then admitted to knowing some stuff was going on but did not elaborate."

Note that the ledger was in Foresta's bedroom, the complaint says.

She was charged with: endangering the welfare of children, possession of marijuana, and "prohibited acts, penalties" in connection with marijuana paraphernalia -- "namely smoking devices and packaging material."

She was arraigned by on-duty District Judge Diane Marakovits of Northampton and released on $5,000 unsecurred bail.