Philly heroin dealer brands product with LeBron James

This is a packet of heroin with the James name.
This is a packet of heroin with the James name.
BY STEPHANIE FARR, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: October 02, 2012

LEBRON JAMES has endorsed McDonald's, Nike and State Farm, but there's one product right now on the streets of Philadelphia carrying his name that he most certainly did not endorse - heroin.

Upper Darby police said that they busted a major heroin dealer from Philadelphia on Thursday who had 140 packets of the deadly drug - all of which were stamped with the silhouette of a basketball player and the name "LeBron James."

"I don't think LeBron James would be too happy with this drug-dealer dude using his name on these street bags," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

Chitwood said that drug dealers stamp every bag of heroin with a name, but it's usually one like Hellen or Hazel or words like horse or brown sugar.

Police said that an undercover Upper Darby officer made a buy from Marlon Guess, 19, of Philadelphia, on Beverly Boulevard near Luckens Avenue, in Upper Darby, about 6 p.m. Thursday. The undercover officer paid Guess $750 for 140 bags of LeBron, Chitwood said.

When police moved in for the bust, Guess, who was driving a rental car, couldn't take the heat and drove off, hitting a police cruiser and a parked car before ditching his vehicle and running, police said.

He was captured shortly after and, when he was taken into custody, he was "a real wise-ass," Chitwood said.

"He told the officers, 'Man, I know the drill. I ain't talking. I'll be out on bail tomorrow morning,' " Chitwood said. "Well, he got whacked with $250,000 cash bail, so he's not getting out too soon."

Contact Stephanie Farr at farrs@phillynews.com or 215-854-4225. Follow her on Twitter @FarFarrAway. Read her blog at philly.com/dailydelco.

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