Investigators came close to being $3,200 in debt in official county funds when a controlled drug buy this weekend did not go as planned.

Kevin Michael Hecht, 19, of West Lawn, nearly made off with the money after he promised a pound of marijuana to a confidential police informant but never came back with the drugs. Undercover investigators recovered the money about an hour and a half after the controlled buy failed.

Hecht became known by undercover cops and state police Troop G Vice Unit from a confidential informant. The informant contacted Hecht on Wednesday and met him at an apartment in Bryce Jordan Towers, 463 E. Beaver Ave., occupied by Hecht's girlfriend.

Hecht told the informant he had a source who could supply up to 6 pounds of marijuana at $2,600 per pound, according to the criminal complaint. The informant was told by investigators to go with Hecht to the source, negotiate the price and execute a controlled buy of 5 pounds of marijuana. However, the investigators terminated the buy.

"We couldn't get it on our terms, so we ended the deal," said an investigator, who asked not to be named because of ongoing undercover work.

Investigators told the informant Friday to call Hecht again and arrange to buy marijuana. Hecht told the informant his source had 2 pounds of marijuana and would sell it for $3,200 a pound, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigators provided the informant with $3,200 in official county funds to purchase 1 pound of marijuana. Hecht told the informant to meet him at Bryce Jordan Towers at about 7 p.m. and then take him to 220 Easterly Parkway to purchase the marijuana.

The informant met Hecht about 7 p.m. at Bryce Jordan Towers, took him to the location specified and gave Hecht the $3,200 in official funds. Hecht left the vehicle at about 7:10 p.m. and did not return with the marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

"It became obvious that we were getting ripped off," the investigator said.

At about 8:30 p.m., investigators went to Hecht's girlfriend's apartment in Bryce Jordan Towers; while they were there, Hecht called her cell phone. During the call, the investigators informed Hecht that he had $3,200 in official funds and was told to turn himself in at the State College Police Department.

Hecht told the investigators he was at Uni-Mart, 1200 S. Atherton St., and asked if they could meet him there. The investigators arrived at the location and retrieved the money from Hecht, according to the criminal complaint.

According to the investigator, the informant had no knowledge of Hecht's intentions to steal the money. The investigator added that Hecht said he planned to rob the informant.

Hecht will be charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal use of a communication facility. He was not charged with drug-related counts because investigators never found that he was in possession of drugs. Hecht was arraigned by District Justice Bradley Lunsford and was placed in Centre County prison in lieu of $10,000 bail. His preliminary hearing will be held Wednesday.