A Valparaiso man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana said.

Lane Barendsen, 24, pleaded guilty to that charge on Thursday.

Barendsen is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Porter County Drug Task Force.

Barendsen and Antonio Trevino of Hobart were taken into custody in February 2009 following a sting involving an informant. According to the probable cause affidavit filed by DEA, Barendsen agreed to broker a cocaine purchase with Trevino on behalf of the informant. On Feb. 15 Barendsen was witnessed leaving Trevino’s apartment with a bag and agents executed a traffic stop, the affidavit said. The bag was found to contain three quarters of a kilo of white powder which field-tested positive for cocaine and four to five pounds of marijuana, the affidavit said.

In a consensual search of Barendsen’s apartment in Valparaiso agents subsequently recovered a handgun, a rifle, $5,910 in cash, and one quarter pound of marijuana, the affidavit said.

Barendsen and Trevino were both charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.