A Farrell man was recently busted by state police in Clark with a large amount of marijuana after they conducted four controlled buys in the borough.

Michael Golden, 49, was charged by state police after four separate incidents between Nov. 14 and June 20 with four counts each of manufacture, deliver or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and intentional possession of a controlled substance.

The charges were held to the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas during a preliminary hearing Thursday with District Judge William L. Fagley, Greenville.

Golden is free on bond.

According to the police complaint:

A confidential informant working with state police arranged to buy a quarter pound of marijuana for $500 from Golden during meetings on Nov. 14, Dec. 5 and Feb. 5 in the parking lot of a bar on Valley View Road.

Police monitored the meetings, where the informant would exit Golden’s vehicle with a white plastic shopping bag containing the suspected marijuana.

The informant would then meet police at a predetermined location to hand over the bag. The evidence tested positive for marijuana after each of the meetings.

The informant arranged to meet Golden at 1 p.m. June 20 in the parking lot of a boat launch on Shenango River Lake, state Route 258, Clark, to buy two pounds of marijuana. Golden said it would cost $1,600 per pound.

Police set up surveillance in and around the boat launch area. They stopped Golden’s sport-utility vehicle at 1:05 p.m. and arrested him for three felony warrants for the sale and delivery of a controlled substance.

Police searched his vehicle and found three plastic baggies with marijuana weighing 715 grams, or about 1 1/2 pounds.