By Brandi Makuski

The trial of a Stevens Point man accused of selling drugs from his south side home is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

Nestor Luis Vega, 38, faces a slew of drug-related charges after allegedly selling heroin during a series of undercover drug buys over two weeks in June. Vega pleaded not guilty to all the charges in July.

According to the criminal complaint, Vega was identified as a heroin dealer with the help of a confidential informant in early June. Over the next several days, Vega allegedly was paid more than $700 for just over two grams of heroin during five exchanges with the informant, who was working closely with the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force.

Most of the drug deals took place at Vega’s home on the 900 block of Whiting Ave., according to the complaint. At least some of the exchanges involved giving money directly to Vega, then picking up the drugs from underneath an oil can in the garage, while Vega remained inside the home.

Officers arrested Vega during a June 28 traffic stop, when a search turned up a “large quantity of money” and a plastic baggie containing suspected marijuana in his sock.

At the time of his arrest, Vega was already out on bond for two separate cases involving felony drug possession, bail-jumping and his third offense of operating without a valid license. Those cases are still pending.

If convicted, Vega faces up to 12 years and six months of each of five counts of felony heroin delivery, second offense; three years and six months each for possession of THC and maintaining a drug trafficking place; and six years each for two counts of felony bail-jumping.

Vega remains in custody. Court records show he returns to court on Oct. 25 after his lawyer, Stephen W. Sawyer, filed motions to compel recordings of the alleged drug deals, as well as a motion related to Vega’s alleged gang affiliation.

Judge Robert Shannon is expected to oversee the two-day trial beginning on Wed. Oct. 26.