One of two men suspected of illegally dealing prescription painkillers over the past months in Austin pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Jonathan Duane Hegna, 23, pleaded not guilty in Mower County Court to three felony counts of third-degree drug sale. The other suspect, Alexander Gene Barth, 25, faces the same charges. However, his initial appearance in Mower County Court was moved to Jan. 16, and he has yet to enter a plea.

According to the court complaint, a confidential informant met separately with each suspect on three occasions to buy pills and then turn them over to an investigator. In October, Barth allegedly sold 30 pills of oxycodone at $4 a piece, 100 pills at $4 a piece several days later and 30 pills of a stronger, 40 mg oxycontin days after that.

At about the same time in October, an informant allegedly bought 30 pills of oxycodone at $3 a piece from Hegna, later bought 100 pills at $3 a piece, and then 30 stronger pills of 40 mg oxycontin at $10 each several days after that.

The court complaints stated Barth admitted to a detective he sold the pills. Hegna declined to speak with the detective, it said.