A Warren man faces three felony charges after allegedly selling $20 worth of cocaine to an undercover police officer.

Sam Hornacky, 22, of Warren was charged Sept. 4 by Warren city police with first-degree felony dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity/intent to promote, third-degree felony criminal use of a communication facility, felony manufacture, deliver or possession with intent to manufacture to deliver, and intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered.

Hornacky was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Raymond Zydonik, who set bail at $50,000. Hornacky was taken to the Warren County Prison and will be in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 17.

According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, officers began investigating the sale of controlled substances allegedly involving Hornacky in February 2025 and, according to the affidavit, officers used a confidential informant to attempt to purchase controlled substances from Hornacky.

“On one occasion, the confidential informant was able to purchase a Schedule 2 controlled substance, cocaine, from Hornacky,” the affidavit states before continuing, “The confidential informant communicated with the defendant by Facebook Messenger and arranged the purchase of the controlled substance from the defendant. … Hornacky did exchange pre-recorded funds for the sale of cocaine.”

According to the Ciccarelli Law Offices, which has several offices in Pennsylvania, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity/intent to promote is a money laundering charge that can be punishable by 20 years in prison and fines up to $100,000. Pennsylvania law describes money laundering as “dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities,” according to the law office website, by using financial transactions to disguise or conceal money and other proceeds gained via criminal acts. The charge can only be filed if the underlying offense is either a first-degree misdemeanor or a felony.

State law stipulates the person charged under the money laundering statute has to have known the money came from criminal activities and then intentionally acted to promote the criminal activities. Police must also prove the person they are charging understood the financial transaction was being made to conceal, disguise or protect the proceeds, and must have acted to avoid any transaction reporting requirements under state or federal laws. Laundered money may go through a bank, a credit card company, a loan company, an investment bank, or any other type of financial institution.