Man pleads not guilty to coke deals

Published 12:14 pm Thursday, August 21, 2008

A 40-year-old Austin man has pleaded not guilty to drug charges stemming from a March search warrant and alleged subsequent cocaine deals with a confidential police informant.

Job Gallardo Talamantes has been charged with one count of first-degree and two counts of second-degree controlled substance crime in Mower County District Court, where he last appeared Aug. 14.

His pretrial date is Oct. 10.

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According to the criminal complaint, authorities executed a search warrant at his Second Avenue Northwest home around 3:15 p.m. March 15. There, they allegedly found drug paraphernalia and trace amounts of cocaine.

Police investigations continued and facilitated two alleged drug transactions between Talamantes and a confidential informant.

The defendant has a 1998 felony drug conviction in Lincoln, Neb.