A River Falls man faces felony drug charges in St. Croix County after allegedly selling a police informant what turned out to be more than a half-pound of phony cocaine.

The suspect, Nathaniel J. Lloyd, allegedly spent the weekend trying to sell the informant cocaine and agreed to take a portion of the payment in advance of the full amount. New Richmond police later learned Lloyd had stopped at a dollar store before the sale and bought a box of baking soda that he poured into a sandwich baggie "to sell as imitation cocaine," according to a criminal complaint.

Lloyd, 36, was charged Tuesday, Nov. 28, with delivery of an imitation controlled substance, methamphetamine possession, felony bail jumping - all felonies - and two misdemeanors, child neglect and drug paraphernalia possession.

St. Croix County Circuit Court Judge Edward Vlack set cash bond at $7,500 at Lloyd's initial appearance on Tuesday.

Lloyd also appeared on charges of meth delivery, cocaine delivery and two counts of felony bail jumping stemming from a Nov. 17 incident in New Richmond.

In that case, Lloyd is accused of selling a police informant $200 worth of cocaine at the Lowrey Hotel in New Richmond. Lloyd, who the informant said is known on the streets as "Casper" or "Nino," also gave the informant a free bag of meth as part of the transaction, according to that criminal complaint.

The most recent case occurred in the New Richmond Walmart parking lot where Lloyd allegedly sold the informant 0.63 pounds of phony meth. The informant said Lloyd allowed him to pay $150 up front and to repay the remaining $800 at a later date.

Numerous items found inside the car Lloyd was riding in were confiscated, including suspected meth and eight cellphones.

A 3-year-old child was found riding in the backseat of the car with a woman, Menomonie resident Traci Stamper, who was also arrested for a probation hold and on suspicion of child neglect and obstructing an officer. Child protective services took temporary custody of the child. The car's driver, 21-year-old River Falls resident David D. Lunde, was arrested on suspicion of possession of imitation controlled substances and a probation violation.

Neither Stamper nor Lunde had been formally charged in connection with the Nov. 27 incident as of Wednesday.