Man On Parole For Attempted Murder Tried To Sell Meth In Montco: Feds

UPPER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — A man attempted to create a drug trafficking business in Montgomery County while he was out of state prison on parole for attempted murder, authorities said.

Norman Copper, 33, of Philadelphia, was convicted this week of methamphetamine possession and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, along with additional counts. Because the crimes were committed while he was on parole, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 years behind bars.

The investigation into Copper began back in Dec. 2023, when the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Parole Field Services intercepted some of his prison calls which they said appeared to involve planning for drug sales.

Copper wore a GPS monitor as a condition of his parole, which tied him repeatedly to his girlfriend's apartment in King of Prussia, officials said.

When authorities served a search warrant on the apartment and its storage unit, they found more than 1.5 pounds of meth, an AK-style semiautomatic rifle, and three semiautomatic handguns, including one with a silencer, police said.

The maximum sentence is life in prison. A sentencing hearing will be held on July 30.