1 Man Tied to Drugs, Rape and Fatal Shooting

In the last 10 months, Brian Simmons has crossed paths with local police three times.

In April, he was allegedly at the scene of a West Ward homicide, and was himself shot and stabbed. 

In September, he was charged with the rape of a 15-year-old Easton girl in Glendon, although the case against him was later withdrawn.

And now he's being charged with selling heroin to a confidential police source in Easton. 

Simmons, 24, of 454 Ostrum St. in Fountain Hill, allegedly met with the confidential source at S. 14^th and Butler streets at 3:16 p.m. Wednesday to sell the heroin, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Simmons was also allegedly at the scene of a gun battle in the West Ward that left Bethlehem resident Matthew Kelly dead last April.

Police say Simmons had gone to meet with Kelly in a church parking lot at the 1100 block of Spruce Street believing he'd be taking part in a drug deal.

Simmons was shot and also stabbed when the meeting turned violent, with numerous people shooting at each other. Kelly, 20, was shot and died the following day at Easton hospital.

A Northampton County grand jury is investigating that case.  

Last summer, Simmons was accused of raping a 15-year-old Easton girl in Glendon and then threatening her family.

All charges against Simmons in that case were dropped in December, according to court records. At his preliminary hearing in November, the girl refused to testify or even acknolwedge the judge. It was unclear whether her failure to testify led to the withdrawal of charges.

In this latest case, a confidential source allegedly met with the arresting officer before the drug transaction, contacting Simmons on his cell phone in the presence of the plainclothes officer who supplied pre-recorded cash to make the buy and later observed the transaction.

When Easton police later arrested Simmons, he was carrying the pre-recorded cash in a pants pocket, according to an arrest warrant.

Simmons was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, a first-degree felony, and criminal use of a cell phone, which is also a felony.

He was arraigned before on-duty District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez of Bethlehem and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.