Massachusetts Drug Defense Lawyer Blog

Massachusetts Drug Case: Occupy Boston protester arrested on drug dealing charges

2011-11-09T08:53:00.000-08:00

If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.

VIA THE BOSTON GLOBE ONLINE

By Jaime Lutz

November 8, 2011

A man who said he was living at the Occupy Boston encampment in Boston’s Dewey Square is facing drug dealing charges.

Officers arrested Adam Brisbois, 28, of Boston in the South Station bus terminal Monday night after he sold seven clonidine pills to undercover officers in the bathroom for $14, Boston police said in a statement. Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure and other disorders.

Brisbois was charged with possession with intent to distribute both Class C and Class E drugs, police said.

When the officers asked Brisbois where he lived, he allegedly told them, “I’m occupying. I have in blue tent in there,” gesturing toward Dewey Square. Brisbois told officers he had been protesting for more than a week, police said.

When he was arrested, Brisbois said he had been involved in the movement for over a week. During booking, he provided an address of Dewey Square, Boston, police said.

There have been several arrests near or in the tent city on drug-related charges in recent weeks.

Since the Occupy protesters arrived, “officers have noticed an increase in drug activity in and around the South Station/Dewey Square area,” police said.

Massachusetts Drug Case: Two arrested after drug raid prompted by neighbors' calls

2011-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.

VIA THE FALL RIVER HERALD ONLINE

By Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Nov 04, 2011

FALL RIVER —

It is always a good idea to be nice to your neighbors.

But that is especially true if your neighbors can put you in jail with a single call.

Steven Cordeiro, 51, and Barbie-Jo Martins, 46, both of 1886 Pleasant St., were arrested Thursday at home after a raid by detectives with the Vice and Intelligence Unit.

“These two arrests were the result of citizens’ complaints about drug activity in the area of Pleasant and Barlow Street,” said Lt. Roger LeFleur, the spokesman for the police.

Neighbors specifically complained about the traffic flowing through the area and the behavior of people drawn to the area.

The complaints were enough to send detectives in undercover cars up into that area to take a look for themselves.

“They went up and took a look and then began an investigation,” LeFleur said.

Detectives turned up enough information to get a search warrant. They went to the address Thursday to serve it.

Detectives surrounded the address and were watching it prior to their raid when Cordeiro drove up and got out of his car to go to his home.

“The detectives approached him and identified themselves,” LeFleur said. “Mr. Cordeiro took off running. He went about 50 feet and then stopped and raised his hands. He was arrested then.”

Detectives went into the home at that point and arrested Martins. During the search, they allege they turned up 20 bags of heroin, packaged in small amounts for street sale.

They also seized $1,520 in cash. Martins was arrested when police allegedly found 49 Xanax tablets in her possession. She could not produce a valid prescription for the medication, police alleged.

Cordeiro was charged with possession with the intent to distribute heroin. Martins was charged with illegal possession of a prescription drug.

Both of them will face charges in District Court.

Email Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Massachusetts Drugs and Weapons Case: Somerville police arrest man with drugs, knife and suspended license

2011-11-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.

VIA THE SOMERVILLE JOURNAL ONLINE

Somerville —

A man who picked a fight with a woman was later found driving with illegal drugs and a knife earlier this month, according to a police report.

On Oct. 20 at 2:45 p.m., an officer was flagged down on Highland Avenue near Vinal Avenue and informed about a man in a black Cadillac Escalade starting a fight with a woman nearby. The victim said she was trying to park her car when the suspect allegedly started screaming at her from his car.

The car was spotted before Walnut Street and a license plate search revealed that the registered owner had a suspended license due to a distribution of Class D substance charge.

Police pulled the car over. A pat frisk revealed a 3-inch folding knife in his upper waistband and two pills n his pocket believed to be suboxone.

Derek McMasters, 32, of an unknown address was arrested on charges of charges of possessing a Class D drug, possession of a dangerous weapon and driving on a suspended license.

Major Massachusetts Drug Case: Weeklong sting nets drugs, cash, arrests

2011-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.

VIA THE BOSTON HERALD

By BETH PERDUE

bperdue@s-t.com

November 01, 2011

FAIRHAVEN — Police in Fairhaven charged six people and seized more than 100 Percocet tablets and $17,000 in cash in a weeklong surveillance and sting operation that ended Thursday.

Working with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office South Coast Anti-Crime Task Force, Fairhaven police arrested Christopher Serra, 26, of 139 Spring St., on Oct. 27, after they said they observed him in multiple hand-to-hand drug transactions. Also arrested was New Bedford resident Christopher Bretton, 20, after he completed a drug transaction with Serra in a local parking lot, according to police.

With access to Serra's phone, police conducted a sting operation responding to texts from customers to set up seemingly authentic drug deals. Four additional people, including at least two Fairhaven residents, were charged from the sting. police said. The four face narcotics violations in Third District Court.

Serra and Bretton's arrests came after a weeklong surveillance during which Serra was seen making numerous hand-to-hand drug transactions within close proximity to his apartment, according to police.

Serra was charged with distribution of a Class B controlled substance, conspiracy to violate drug laws and school zone violations for distributing within 1,000 feet of Hastings Middle School. Bretton was charged with possession of a Class B substance and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

In a search of Serra's apartment, police said they recovered a safe filled with a large amount of cash. In total, more than $17,000 in cash and 100 Percocet tablets were seized.

Fairhaven police worked with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office South Coast Anti-Crime Task Force and Mattapoisett and Dartmouth departments in the operation. Working through the task force gives the department greater flexibility and offers officers broader jurisdiction, said Fairhaven Sergeant Kevin Kobza.

"We have jurisdiction throughout Bristol County once we become sworn deputies with the task force," said Kobza. "It's been very productive for us. It has led to being able to do more than we would have been able to do."

Major Massachusetts Drug Case: Man caught with 15 pounds of pot in Quincy gets suspended sentence

2011-11-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

**If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.**

VIA THE PATRIOT LEDGER

November 2, 2011

A 61-year-old man has pleaded guilty to having 15 pounds of marijuana at a rent-subsidized housing for the elderly building in Wollaston where police said he had been living.

Angel R. Colon, was arrested Dec. 22 outside Wollaston Manor at 91 Clay St. A package sent from Montrose, Calif., raised suspicions when it arrived at the Wollaston post office, police said. Colon tried to collect it but was told he couldn't have it because he had no identification. He asked to have it delivered the next day to the apartment building where he lived, police said.

Meanwhile, police brought in a dog trained to sniff out drugs, and it hit on Colon’s package. A postal inspector posing as a carrier brought the package to Wollaston Manor, and Colon, who was standing in front of the building, signed for it, police said.

That’s when Quincy police moved in and asked Colon if he knew what was inside the package. He said he didn’t know, said he was abandoning it and allowed officers to open it, police said. Inside was 15 pounds of marijuana in a bucket that was wrapped in paper towels soaked in ammonia, a method commonly used to attempt to mask the smell of marijuana, police said.

After Colon was arrested, detectives went to the apartment listed on the package. Police said Colon’s mother, who is in her 80s, told them that her son lived there with her. Wollaston Manor provides apartments for seniors whose rent is subsidized by the federally funded Section 8 program.

A Wollaston Manor employee who would only identify herself by her first name, said Tuesday that the building management does not divulge information about tenants. She said Colon had been visiting there a year and a half ago, and that he had never lived there.

Court records listed Colon’s address as 91 Clay St. when he was arraigned in December. A document listing the conditions of his probation Oct. 17, when he entered his guilty plea, lists his address as Corey Road in Brighton.

Colon accepted a plea and sentence recommendation from the prosecution calling for a one-year suspended jail sentence and probation until Oct. 14, 2014.

“He has no Mass. criminal record and a minor out-of-state record,” David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said. “Three years supervised probation with a year (in jail) hanging over his head is about what we can hope to see with a possession to distribute Class D charge,” Traub said.

Major Massachusetts Drug Case: 26 pounds of pot seized in bust

2011-10-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

VIA THE HERALD NEWS

DARTMOUTH —

A New Bedford man was arrested on Thursday after being discovered with 26 pounds of marijuana at a home in South Dartmouth.

Sidney DeSousa, 35, of 110 S. Sixth St. in New Bedford, was charged with possession with intent to distribute Class D and E drugs and illegal possession of ammunition according to Dartmouth Police spokesman Detective Robert Levinson.

Dartmouth Police narcotics detectives along with members from the South Coast Anti-Crime Task Force raided DeSousa’s rental property, 5 Nonquitt Ave., Dartmouth.

Authorities seized approximately 26 pounds of packaged marijuana, worth an estimated $100,000 along with $315 in cash, 39 vials of suspected Human Growth Hormone and 13 rounds of .38-caliber ammunition.

DeSousa was arraigned at New Bedford Third District Court on Friday and released on $5,000 cash bail.

Major Massachusetts Drug Case: Melrose Man Among 11 Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges

2011-10-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

VIA MELROSE PATCH

Editor Daniel DeMaina

A 38-year-old Melrose man faces a conspiracy to distribute cocaine charge, and is one of 10 people indicted in connection with allegedly trafficking, possessing and distributing narcotics in Massachusetts, Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office announced in a press release Thursday afternoon.

Adam Saggese of Melrose was arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy to distribute cocaine charge, according to the release. He was released on personal recognizance.

The charges stem from an extensive drug trafficking investigation resulting in the seizure of approximately 500 grams of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, thousands of dollars, and several vehicles, the Attorney General's Office said.

As part of an ongoing narcotics investigation, the Attorney General's Office began an investigation into the activities of Gerald Esposito, 40, of Boston in March. The investigation focused on Esposito's alleged extensive drug network, which included the wholesalers from whom he bought narcotics, partners with whom he collaborated, and the customers to whom he sold the product.

Law enforcement officials allege that Esposito's drug dealing took place in the North End and the Revere apartment of Kettia Piris. The investigation also alleges drug transactions among Saggese and co-defendants Anthony Vigorito, Anthony Gianetti, Steven Tracia, Ferdinando Daniele, Sal Lazzari, Anthony Ascenzo, Paul Mattarese and Marino Velasquez.

In June, law enforcement officials received search warrants for searches of locations and vehicles associated with Esposito, Daniele, Tracia, Velasquez, and Giannetti. Esposito was arrested while meeting with Daniele, resulting in the seizure of $2,594 cash and several types of drugs in quantities ready for sale.

The searches, the Attorney General's office alleges, resulted in the seizure of approximately 500 grams of cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, ammunition, approximately $75,000 cash, several vehicles, and other materials associated with narcotics dealing.

The Special Grand Jury in Suffolk Superior Court returned indictments against the 11 defendants on September 15, 2011. Eight of the defendants, including Saggese, were arraigned yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court, at which time each entered individual pleas of not guilty.They will return to court on Nov. 3 for a pre-trial conference.

MASS. Drunk Driving Case: Fugitive nabbed in 6th DUI rap

2011-09-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

VIA THE BOSTON HERALD ONLINE

A “previously deported fugitive” living in Marlboro was arrested Saturday night in Boxboro and charged with drunken driving for the sixth time, police said.

Eduardo Alementa Torres, 48, had no identification on him, gave cops a false name and was driving with an expired inspection sticker and a suspended registration, Boxboro police said.

Cops detected a strong odor of alcohol, police said, and saw an open beer bottle on the passenger seat.

Torres failed a field sobriety test and blew .09 in a breath test, police said.

Torres had three prior convictions for driving drunk in California and two in Massachusetts, and is wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, police said. Torres is being held without bail and will be arraigned today in Ayer District Court, police said.

Efforts to reach immigration authorities for comment last night were unsuccessful.

Drunken driving by illegal aliens in Massachusetts has led to demands for tougher action recently after an Ecuadorian native was charged with killing a Milford man while driving drunk, and President Obama’s Kenyan uncle was arrested on drunken driving charges in Framingham last month.

MASS. Drug Case: Jet passenger allegedly hid cocaine in shoes

2011-09-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

VIA THE BOSTON GLOBE ONLINE

By Brian Ballou

Globe Staff / September 21, 2011

A New Jersey man pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges that he was carrying about two kilograms of cocaine hidden inside four pairs of shoes in his checked luggage when he arrived Monday at Logan International Airport.

Carlos J. Lanns, 24, was arraigned in East Boston Municipal Court. Judge Roberto Ronquillo Jr. set bail at $300,000 cash and scheduled a hearing for Oct. 5.

Authorities say Lanns hid 2.17 kilograms of cocaine in the shoes, which were wrapped in plastic. The drugs had an estimated street value of about $200,000, authorities said.

Lanns appeared confused during the hearing. An interpreter explained the proceedings to him. His lawyer for the hearing, Erica Colombo, entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.

Prosecutor Erik Bennett said Lanns had ties to the Dominican Republic, and asked that the judge hold him on $750,000 cash bail and require him to surrender his passport if he made bail.

Bennett said that if convicted, Lanns faced a possible 15-year mandatory minimum state prison sentence.

Colombo told the court that Lanns has no criminal record.

State Police arrested Lanns at Logan at about 6:10 p.m. Monday shortly after he got off JetBlue Flight 862 from Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.

State Police had been alerted by US Customs and Border Protection officials.

The method used to find the drugs was not revealed “so as not to compromise ongoing interdiction efforts,’’ Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office said.

Lanns faces charges of trafficking in more than 200 grams of a Class B substance.

Brian Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com.

MASS. Drug Case: Fall River bust nabs 21 in federal/state drug-and-guns investigation

2011-09-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

By Will Richmond

Herald News Staff Reporter

Last update Sep 10, 2011 @ 08:38 PM

FALL RIVER —

An undercover operation targeting the sale of illegal guns and drugs has resulted in criminal charges against 21 people.

The arrests were announced Friday afternoon, hours after the operation concluded with the apprehension of multiple guns and narcotics — including crack, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

Police did not release details about the arrests, saying the investigation is ongoing. But they identified five Fall River men who will face federal charges of distributing cocaine base. The men are Derek Rego, 24, Trajuan Albert, 24, Leotis Carpenter, 29, Wendell Stampley, 33, and Hakim McLeod, 32. Albert has also been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Rego, Albert and Carpenter were already in custody, while McLeod was arrested Friday morning. Stampley remains at large.

Sixteen other people were charged with state-level offenses stemming from the operation..

Guy Thomas, special agent in charge of the Boston division of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the arrests are part of a “longterm investigation into criminal gang activity in Fall River.”

Police Chief Daniel Racine said he was not aware of any connection between the arrests and the investigation into the alleged sale of drugs and guns in Shakers Nightclub and Lounge, though some of the people charged Friday were also arrested as part of that investigation.

The arrests were the result of a joint operation involving Fall River Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Officials from those agencies joined Mayor Will Flanagan to praise the collaborative effort that led to the arrests.

“It was through working together that we were able to take illegal firearms and narcotics off the streets of Fall River and put some bad individuals behind bars,” Racine said.

Along with the display of firearms, drugs and cash that sat on a table in the Police Department was a baker’s dozen of Molotov cocktails. Red, gas-soaked rags hanging out of beer bottles filled the room with a distinct odor.

Charged with prosecuting those facing federal charges, Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn MacKinlay said the investigation allowed police to pull weapons off the street before they could be used.

“These individuals would have used these weapons to commit violent crimes here in the streets of Fall River,” MacKinlay said. “The streets are safer through this joint effort, and that’s not just because these guns are off the streets, but because these individuals are off the street.”

Those facing state charges are:

Royleton Haston, 29, 120 Fifteenth St., Apt. 12, distribution of cocaine, subsequent offense; Erica Belisle, 27, 120 Fifteenth St., Apt. 12, distribution of cocaine; Shane Cartin, 27, 185 Covel St., two counts each of unlawful sale of a firearm, carrying a firearm after having been previously convicted of a serious drug offense and distribution of heroin in a park, subsequent offense; Emilio Rivera, 61, 130 Canal St., Apt. 1712, two counts of distribution of heroin, subsequent offense, one count of trafficking of heroin in excess of 14 grams; Norman Vilamarim, 32, 379 New Valley Road, New Bedford, carrying a firearm, unlawful sale of a firearm, possession of a large-capacity firearm and feed device; Samuel Harwood, 18, 126 Reed Road, Westport, possession of an incendiary device, unlawful sale of a firearm, possession of a firearm; Benjamin Fry, 31, 95 Choate St., unlawful sale of a firearm, carrying of a firearm, distribution of cocaine; Eric Pagan-Jovet, 25, 280 Fifth St., distribution of cocaine — subsequent offense; Peter Flores, 19, 128 Freedom St., trafficking cocaine in excess of 28 grams, unlawful sale of a firearm, carrying a firearm, distribution of cocaine; Peter Pearson, 23, 28 Odd St., armed robbery, possession of a large-capacity firearm, possession of a large-capacity feeding device, carrying a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition, distribution of cocaine; Jerron Butler, 22, 183 George St., armed robbery, possession of a large-capacity firearm, possession of a large-capacity feeding device, carrying a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition; Franco Santos, 23, Reynolds St., New Bedford, possession of a large-capacity firearm, possession of a large-capacity feeding device, carrying a firearm, carrying a loaded weapon, possession of ammunition.

Investigators also announced charges against four men wanted on state charges that remained at large. Those men are: Jeff Robbins, 402 Fifth St., possession of an incendiary device, distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition; Jose Gonzalez, 21, 20 Orange St., distributing a counterfeit substance, larceny over $250; Charles Coward, 40, 433 Bank St., Apt. 8, three counts of distribution of cocaine, two counts of distributing cocaine in a school zone; Michael Fry, 21, 228 Haffords St., trafficking cocaine in excess of 14 grams.

Police are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of the five at-large individuals to call the anonymous tips line at 508-672-TIPS.

Email Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.

MASS. Drug Case: Hyannis men face drug charges after arrests

2011-09-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

**If you or a loved one is facing a Massachusetts Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Cape Cod Drug Defense Website and my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.**

VIA CAPE COD TIMES ONLINE
September 08, 2011

HYANNIS - Members of the Barnstable police Street Crime Unit arrested two men on drug possession charges Wednesday night.

At about 7:15 p.m., a Barnstable Police Department official and a Barnstable County Sheriff Department official saw a known narcotics dealer while the pair were parked at the Hess gas station on Route 28, according to a police press release.

The law enforcement officials, who were conducting surveillance in the area from an unmarked car, observed Anthony Bonfiglio, 24, of Hyannis approach a parked vehicle.

After witnessing a "hand to hand" transaction between Bonfiglio and a man in the vehicle later identified as Russell Viera, 20, of Hyannis, the Street Crime Unit members approached the suspects.

An investigation at the scene turned up more than 60 oxycodone pills and $2,600 in cash, the press release states. Viera and Bonfiglio were both charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute, according to the police. Viera was held on $2,500 cash bail, and Bonfiglio was held on $1,500 cash bail.

MASS. Drunk Driving Case: Barnstable officer facing DWI charge resigns

2011-09-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

By Associated Press
Wednesday, September 7, 2011

BARNSTABLE — A Barnstable police officer facing charges for allegedly being drunk when he drove a 9-year-old boy to a Little League tournament has resigned.

Edmund Scipione has resigned rather than face a disciplinary hearing that could have resulted in his firing, according to a police investigation released to the Cape Cod Times on Tuesday. By resigning, he keeps his pension.

Scipione "violated the public trust and his oath of office" according to the report.

Authorities say Scipione was arrested in Swansea in July after allegedly driving for hours with the boy in his car. The boy was on the baseball team Scipione coached. The boy at one point jumped from the car.

Scipione has pleaded not guilty to operating under the influence of alcohol and reckless endangerment of a child.

MASS. Drug Case: Marijuana seized from apartment

2011-09-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

VIA THE BOSTON GLOBE

ARLINGTON- It wasn't so much the amount of marijuana seized from the tenant's apartment that amazed police.

“What was so out of the ordinary in this instance is that the residence was rented and used for the sole purpose of growing marijuana,’’ Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan said by phone yesterday. “It doesn't appear the apartment was inhabited.’’

Jonathan Pore, a 23-year-old college student, set up a high-tech plant nursery inside the Cleveland Street address, authorities said. The apartment was lined with plastic and contained heat lamps, lights, and air-conditioning equipment apparently used to create the perfect climate to grow the illegal plant.

Based on a tip several months ago, police started watching the apartment, Ryan said. Pore was arrested Thursday night and yesterday was charged in Cambridge District Court, located in Medford, with possession with intent to distribute and a drug violation near a school. He was ordered held on a $50,000 cash bail pending an Oct. 3 pretrial hearing.

The nearly 50 pounds of marijuana, in the form of fresh plants and dried leaves that appeared ready for distribution, was everywhere throughout the first-floor residence. In all, it had a street value of more than $120,000. Three scales and other drug paraphernalia were found, as well as $6,330 in cash.

Benjamin Selmen, the defendant's lawyer, entered a not-guilty plea on his client’s behalf, as Pore, wearing a white T-shirt, stood next to him with his hands cuffed in front of him.

Prosecutors say Pore has a history of marijuana offenses in New Hampshire, where he graduated from high school. He was convicted of possession but received a suspended sentence, said Assistant District Attorney Kate Hardigan.

“His out-of-state record is indicative of a pattern of escalation,’’ she told Judge Antoinette Leoney. “He is now cultivating marijuana.’’

Selmen characterized the offenses in New Hampshire as minor and argued for a $1,000 cash bail for his client. “He’s not being charged with trafficking here,’’ Selmen said in response to Hardigan's request for a $50,000 bail.

After the arraignment, Pore’s stepfather, Kevin Neary, said Selman is a second-year student at Northern Essex Community College, majoring in computer science.

“He's a good kid. . . . He might have been doing it. Whatever the reasons for growing it, I don’t know,’’ Neary said.

Several residents on Cleveland Street who live not far from the yellow and dark-brown colored three-decker expressed shock at the level of the illegal activity so close to them, and on such a quiet, family-oriented street.

“No one knew anything about it. . . . It was a very big surprise,’ said Richard Wong, who has lived on the street for 27 years. “We just watched the cops carry all the stuff out.’’

Another resident said yesterday that he thought it was strange that the apartment windows had been covered with dark plastic.

“I'm always out here, watering the plants and stuff, and I hadn’t noticed anything strange,’’ said Steven Pappas, 49.

Pore was arrested four days after Nikita Yanakopulos, 34, a Medford pizzeria owner, was charged with marijuana trafficking. Police caught him in Everett, transporting 250 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of about $750,000, in the back of his truck, authorities said.

Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com. Follow him on twitter at @globeballou

MASS. DRUG CASE: 18 People Charged in Drug Operation

2011-06-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

**If you or a loved one is facing a Cape Cod Drug Charge, including possession, possession with intent to distribute, distribution, delivery, and trafficking charges, contact Attorney James Powderly today for aggressive and experienced defense of drug charges. Call us 24/7 at 508-343-0676 now. Visit my Cape Cod Drug Defense Website and my Massachusetts Drug Defense Website.**

VIA THE BOSTON GLOBE

By Megan McKee, Globe Correspondent

Federal law enforcement authorities unsealed an indictment yesterday that charges 18 people, including a former Watertown police officer, with drug, extortion, and money laundering offenses related to an extensive and organized drug operation, the US attorney’s office announced.

The indictment released by US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz contains a dizzying array of allegations that includes the seizure of more than $3.3 million, seven gold bars worth $364,000, 80 pounds of marijuana, four weapons, and several vehicles over the course of the nine-month investigation

Federal authorities said that the illegal operation was aided by Roberto Velasquez-Johnson, a former Watertown police officer who is accused of tipping off alleged drug distributor Safwan “Sammy’’ Madarati, 36, of Watertown that an investigation was underway.

The indictment alleges that Madarati “used his personal connections with members of the Watertown Police Department’’ including Velasquez-Johnson “to obtain information about law enforcement activity in order to impede and obstruct investigations into his drug trafficking activities in Watertown.’’

Velasquez-Johnson, who lives in Arlington, is also accused of giving out the home addresses of two police officers so Madarati could intimidate them, according to the indictment.

Watertown Police Chief Ed Deveau said the department has no information that other police officers were involved and said there is no internal investigation underway.

“We don’t want this to be a reflection on the hard work of the Watertown Police Department,’’ Deveau said in a telephone interview yesterday after the indictment was made public. “We have cooperated in every capacity with the federal authorities.’’

Velasquez-Johnston, who also used the name George Diamond, was fired in November 2010 for unrelated misconduct issues, the Police Department said. Velasquez-Johnson had a history of complaints during his 13-year career in Watertown, Deveau said.

“We have high standards, and that’s why he was terminated,’’ Deveau said. “Unfortunately this is a sad day for us, because we always strive to do what we can for Watertown’s integrity.’’

Velasquez-Johnson is charged with conspiracy and lying to investigators about his contact with Madarati. If convicted, he faces five years on each charge.

According to the indictment, Madarati’s distribution, money laundering, and extortion activities involved numerous people and spanned the country: New York, Nevada, California, Florida, and into Canada.

Locally, activities took place in Newton, Burlington, Bedford, Waltham, and Watertown, where Madarati kept an apartment to manufacture and distribute marijuana and ecstasy, according to the indictment.

Cape Cod Drug Case: Trafficking Oxycodone

2011-05-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

**Attorney James Powderly is a highly skilled Cape Cod drug lawyer with experience defending those charged with major drug offenses including distribution, possession with intent to distribute, and trafficking charges. Visit www.capecoddefenseattorney.com for more information regarding Cape Cod drug offenses and Attorney Powderly's most recent drug case victories. Contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation at 508-343-0676.

VIA The Cape Cod Times Online

HYANNIS — A man who recently returned to the Cape after serving five to seven years in prison for trafficking cocaine was arrested again Thursday, this time for allegedly trafficking oxycodone, according to the Barnstable police.

Over the past month, Barnstable police narcotics detectives have been conducting an oxycodone distribution investigation targeting an apartment at the Cape Cross Roads Apartment complex in Hyannis.

The subject of the investigation was Shaun Miller, 25, according to a Barnstable police press release.

Detectives approached the apartment Thursday to execute a search warrant after Miller was observed entering the laundry room beneath his apartment.

The detectives saw Miller reaching behind one of the washing machines in the laundry room. Detectives caught up to Miller as he exited the laundry room and seized a plastic bag containing about 530 oxycodone tablets from his pocket.

The street value of the oxycodone is about $16,000, the press release states.

Miller was arrested and charged with trafficking oxycodone (28-100 grams). He was arraigned Friday at Barnstable District Court.

CAPE COD DRUG CASE: Police accuse duo of dealing drugs in Hyannis

2011-04-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

VIA THE CAPE COD TIMES ONLINE

BARNSTABLE — Two people were arrested Friday and charged with possessing and selling cocaine and heroin, the police said.

Melvin Miller, 54, and Susan Pitcher, 41, were using several motel rooms in Hyannis to distribute the drugs, according to a Barnstable police press release. The hometowns of the suspects were not available as of the Times' press deadline Saturday night.

During a month-long investigation, detectives made undercover purchases of cocaine from Miller and Pitcher.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Barnstable police detectives executed a search warrant at a Hyannis motel room as Miller and Pitcher were leaving. When they saw the detectives, Pitcher ran back into the room and unsuccessfully attempted to flush about 20 small plastic bags of crack cocaine and heroin down the toilet, the police said.

In addition to the drugs, which were valued at $2,000, detectives seized about $2,500 in cash and Miller's Mercedes Benz.

Miller and Pitcher have extensive criminal records totaling, between the pair, about 150 criminal arraignments dating back to 1980. They face charges including possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act.

Man who trafficked tons of marijuana to Fall River, Providence sentenced

2010-12-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

By Will Richmond

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Dec 17, 2010 @ 11:19 AM

BOSTON —

A Providence man accused of leading a marijuana trafficking operation in Fall River and Providence has been sentenced to nearly two decades in a federal prison.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Jeremy Barnes, 36, was sentenced to 17½ years, to be followed by five years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine, for conspiracy to distribute at least 50 kilograms of marijuana and distribution of marijuana in March 2006. Barnes had previously pleaded guilty to the charges stemming from a joint investigation by federal and local authorities aimed at reducing large-scale drug dealing in southern Massachusetts and Providence.

Prosecutors described Barnes as the leader of a large-scale marijuana distribution operation who obtained marijuana and cocaine from co-conspirators in California and elsewhere.

According to the Department of Justice, Chief Judge Mark Wolf found that Barnes and his California co-conspirators transported tons of marijuana from California to New England via tractor-trailers, small trucks and express mail packages.

After finding Barnes responsible for distributing at least 2,700 kilograms of marijuana, worth millions of dollars, and cocaine, Wolf sentenced Barnes to 210 months in prison.

According to the Department of Justice, the Fall River, Tiverton and Bristol, R.I., police departments and the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Providence field office played pivotal roles in the investigation.

E-mail Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.

Man's eyebrow raising mug shot... taken just after he 'swallowed an entire bag of cocaine'

2010-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 3:29 PM on 3rd December 2010

He'd better be careful the wind doesn't change or his face may stay that way.

This bizarre mug shot was taken of 18-year-old Art Taylor - just minutes after he allegedly swallowed an entire bag of cocaine.

Taylor was driving his car in Massachusetts when police witnessed him making the minor traffic offence.

They pulled him over - and became suspicious when Taylor refused to give them his license or registration.

Enlarge

Freaked out: Art Taylor, 18, from Massachusetts was pulled over for a minor traffic offence when he allegedly swallowed a bag of cocaine

Then, suddenly, he darted in to action.

'He made a quick movement to the centre console, and there was a small baggie with a white powder in it', Police spokesperson Ron Brandolini said.

He added: 'He immediately made a movement to put it in his mouth'.

Officers then struggled with the teenager to stop him from swallowing the bag of white powder but to no avail.

The officers were eventually able to handcuff Taylor and remove him from the car, but he had already swallowed what was believed to have been cocaine.

Taylor was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct, and not using a turn signal.

But no drugs charges were brought against him - as there was no evidence.

Police used a dog to search the car for other drugs but nothing was found.

Taylor pleaded not guilty at Framingham District Court yesterday and was released without bail. He is due back in court January 6 for a pretrial conference.

Melrose Police arrest three amid drug investigation

2010-11-30T16:40:00.001-08:00

Beverly —

A lengthy investigation into drug activity in the Melrose Highlands led to the arrests last week of two alleged drug dealers from Lynn, and a Melrose man wanted on a default warrant who police say met with the pair outside his home on Marvin Road while they were transporting narcotics in their vehicle.

The arrests followed weeks of police surveillance in the Marvin Road area, near the Melrose Highlands MBTA Commuter Rail station, during which time the Marvin Road resident emerged as a suspect in the investigation, Melrose Police Lt. Mark DeCroteau told theFree Press this week.

Detectives were monitoring the area near the man’s house last Wednesday, Nov. 24, at about 8 p.m. when DeCroteau said he was observed the man speaking with Lynn residents Rubell Cornelio, 28, and Christopher Hernandez, 20, who were parked outside his home.

Melrose detectives stopped the group and questioned them at approximately 8 p.m., and searched the vehicle driven by Cornelio and Hernandez. DeCroteau said police discovered an unspecified quantity of an illegal substance inside the car, and both men were arrested and charged with possession of a class A drug with intent to distribute. Under Massachusetts law, the class A drug category includes ketamine, opiates, and opium derivatives, including heroin, among other substances.

Testing has not been completed to confirm the identity of the drugs found in the car, and DeCroteau declined to comment on the nature of the substance until test results are returned. He also declined to comment on the quantity that was seized, where the substance was found, or how it was stored, citing an ongoing investigation by the Melrose Police Department.

Cornelio and Hernandez were booked at the Melrose Police station and released on $100 cash bail. They were scheduled to be arraigned in Malden District Court on Friday, Nov. 26.

The Marvin Road resident was also arrested on a default warrant out of Malden District Court. He was released on $200 cash bail.

Email Jim Haddadin at jhaddadin@cnc.com.

Medford Man Gets 15 Years in Cocaine Bust

2010-11-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

A Medford man has been found guilty in connection with the 2008 seizure of about nine kilograms of cocaine whose street value was estimated as $720,000 to $900,000, the office Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone reported Monday, Nov. 22.

Heriberto Cruz, 43, of was found guilty Nov. 19 after a jury trial on charges of conspiracy and trafficking cocaine of more than 200 grams. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Tuttman sentenced Cruz to 15-18 years in state prison.

"These were significant arrests at the time that resulted in nine kilograms of cocaine being seized and taken off the streets of Medford," Leone said. "Illegal drug trafficking is a supply and demand business that is has a tremendously negative impact and adversely affects the quality of life in our communities.

"To make a significant impact in this area, we will continue to actively investigate and prosecute significant drug distribution crimes to reduce the supply side, while actively partnering on the intervention and prevention side to reduce demand. I want to thank the DEA and Medford P.D. for their cooperative effort in this investigation."

The case of Cruz’s codefendant, Patricia Taia, was still pending and her next court date was due to be Nov. 22 for a status review.

According to authorities, on Saturday, July 19, 2008, the Boston office of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) contacted the Middlesex PACT Unit regarding the seizure of nine kilograms of cocaine.

Based on information obtained after further investigation, two days later, a search warrant was obtained by the PACT Unit to be executed at Cruz’s residence. On execution of the search warrant, 7 kilograms of cocaine were found within Cruz’s house, with an additional 2 kilograms found in Patricia Taia’s SUV parked in the driveway. Both defendants were arrested and charged at that time.

Authorities also seized $100,000 in US currency found in the house and in a safe deposit box belonging to the defendants.

The arrests and seizures were the result of an investigation conducted by the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's PACT Unit, the Boston office of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Medford Police Department.

The assistant district attorney assigned to this case is David Solet.

ATTORNEY POWDERLY IN THE NEWS

2010-11-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Pair arrested after Father Diaferio Village murder trying to avoid cameras

FALL RIVER —

Two men arrested in connection to the murder Thursday don’t want to show their faces in court.

Lawyers for Charles Douglas Mendez and Tacoma Massie asked District Court Chief Judge Gilbert Nadeau to allow Mendez and Massie to remain in their cells rather than go before the camera set up in District Court for their arraignment Friday.

“There is an identification issue,” lawyer James Powderly argued. “There were two civilian witnesses on the scene. Descriptions were not given.
“Bringing out my client now would compromise that identification.”

Lawyer Daniel Igo said he would make the same argument for his client.
Judge Nadeau said he would rule on the motion when court reconvenes at 2 p.m. Neither defendant was brought into court in the morning session.

Mendez, 28, of Barnaby Street, and Massie, 29, of Hope Street, were arrested on Kellogg Street shortly after police discovered the body of Edward Platts, 31 of Middletown, R.I., who had been shot and killed while sitting in his car outside Building 11 of the Father Diaferio Village housing complex, 220 Johnson St., Thursday at 6:45 p.m.

Mendez and Massie were charged with illegally carrying a firearm.
Those charges were not changed during the morning session. Both defendants qualify for a court appointed lawyer. Because it is possible that more serious charges could be filed, Nadeau asked Clerk Magistrate Karen Eng to appoint lawyers who have the certifications necessary to try cases in Superior Court as an appointed lawyer.

Robert Kidd, a senior prosecutor in District Attorney Sam Sutter’s office, appeared on behalf of the prosecution.

The arraignment is scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. today.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Maine Coast Drug Crackdown Makes Dents

2010-08-27T15:28:00.001-07:00

BANGOR DAILY NEWS

8/22/10 07:48 pm Updated: 8/24/10 08:53 am

By Abigail Curtis
BDN Staff

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a periodic series of articles a year in the making that examines the effects of drug abuse in Maine.

Read Part One:

Drugs weigh heavily on Maine's poorest area, Washington County

ROCKLAND, Maine — Even though Knox County is a far cry from the rough streets of Baltimore, just as the cops featured on the HBO series “The Wire,” Detective Reggie Walker of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department knows his way around a stakeout.

Walker has logged many hours in his unmarked police car, waiting patiently with his camera and computer close at hand, trying to catch people in the act of making an illegal prescription drug deal.

“You just wait, and wait, and wait and see,” Walker said recently from his crowded office. “It gets really boring sometimes.”

All that waiting and seeing has been leading to many more arrests lately for people caught dealing prescription drugs illegally in midcoast Maine.

Investigations of prescription drug deals — including opiates such as OxyContin, oxycodone, Percocet and Vicodin — are making up almost half of the caseload of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s Mid-Coast Regional Task Force, according to Special Agent Supervisor James Pease.

“We’re always trying to figure out what the next move is, trying to figure out where they’re getting new drugs from,” Pease said.

“Everybody in this job is trying to stay ahead and combat whatever’s next.”

Pease oversees a large swath of the Maine coast, from Waldo County down to the town of Brunswick, and said that business in his territory has been booming. There was a 37 percent increase in prescription drug arrests last year with 240 arrests in Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties and Brunswick and 180 arrests in 2008, he said. That is greater than the 25 percent increase in arrests in 2009 over 2008 for the state as a whole.

Why are there so many arrests and drug seizures in midcoast Maine? Pease has an answer.

“I think we have a very, very, very strong inter-agency cooperation,” he said. “We do not work a case where there are no other departments working side by side with us.”

Although years ago there were incidents of inter-agency jealousy, that’s not the case now, Pease said.

“It’s working awesome. It can’t get any better than it is right now,” he said. “I’m not going to say we’re winning, but it’s working.”

Their latest victory included the apprehension of John Wall, 45, of South Thomaston, a man police say supplied cocaine to drug dealers in Rockland. According to police, Wall fled the area earlier in the year after he realized he was under investigation.

Wall, who has an extensive criminal record including burglary and possession of cocaine, was found hiding at a home in Monmouth. He was charged with trafficking cocaine and violating bail conditions.

Wall’s Aug. 10 arrest — and the earlier arrests of the dealers to whom he allegedly provided drugs — also was the result of interagency cooperation.

The seven special drug enforcement agents based in Pease’s Rockland office work cooperatively with sheriff’s detectives such as Walker and with law enforcement officials from municipal police departments up and down the coast.

His agents concentrate on investigating larger-scale prescription drug dealers rather than those who illegally sell their own prescription pills.

Tools of their trade include Google Earth maps and cameras equipped with long telephoto lenses, Walker said. He used those recently in Warren when doing surveillance on a suspected prescription drug dealer.

Though police weren’t able to arrest the dealer that day, they were able to nab one of his customers, a young woman who had 24 Percocets in her possession.

“They’re doing a lot of pills,” Walker said. “You can’t ignore it. It’s just there. You’ve got to take care of it. It’s almost like coke and heroin are peripheral drugs now.”

Along with a gradual shift in the type of illicit drugs that are most commonly sold is a change in the ways that prescription pills are sold, Pease said. Larger amounts of prescription pills have been coming into Maine from out of state, Pease said, especially from Massachusetts and Florida.

“We see a lot of people that go around and buy. They’re true dealers,” he said. “They just go and have a bunch of customers and sell the pills for profit to other people.”

Pease recalled the arrest last summer of Shane Goodwin, a Richmond man who flew to Florida every month to pick up “several hundred oxy 80s” and methadone pills. When Goodwin returned to Maine to sell them, he made as much as $7,000 each month.

“It would definitely be a multi-million dollar business, all in all, over my counties, definitely,” Pease said of the business.

Illegal usage of prescription drugs generates trouble in addition to the profits, according to Pease, who used to be a Rockland Police Department detective. During his tenure with that department, 85 percent of the city’s burglaries were related to either drugs or alcohol.

“A lot of times, the victims of these crimes are relatives and family members, stealing from mom, stealing from dad,” Pease said. “They say that drug trafficking is a victimless crime, but you have victims all over the board.”

Alleged ‘major player’ in Taunton drug ring held on $100,000 bail

2010-08-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

By Gerry Tuoti

Staff writer

Posted Aug 24, 2010 @ 11:42 PM

Taunton —

A city man accused of being one of Taunton’s major drug dealers is being held in lieu of $100,000 cash bail after he was arrested in Connecticut as part of a two-month-long state police investigation.

Thomas Jeffreys, 31, who has addresses listed in both Taunton and Fall River, was arrested by Connecticut state police Monday and brought back to Massachusetts, where he is charged with 17 counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws. He was arraigned Tuesday in Taunton District Court.

“He was arrested at a hotel in Stonington, Conn., (Monday) morning after we contacted Connecticut state police about his known whereabouts,” said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s office. “The arrest was made without incident.”

Teisha Johnson, 26, of Middleboro, who according to police reports is the mother of Jeffrey’s child, was also reportedly arrested in Connecticut in connection to the drug investigation.

There are no indications that they were trying to flee, Miliote said, adding that unconfirmed information suggested they were in Connecticut to visit Foxwoods casino.

Authorities say Jeffreys was one of the main targets of the drug investigation, which relied heavily on court-ordered wiretaps and involved 13 different law enforcement agencies.

The investigation culminated Monday morning with a flurry of 15 arrests in Taunton and Raynham.

In a court document explaining his reasons for setting bail, Judge David Turcotte referenced Jeffreys’ extensive criminal record and “history of drug distribution.” The document also said the defendant is accused of being a “major player” in Taunton and a “large-scale cocaine dealer.”

State police say they have 16 recorded phone calls dating back to July 12 in which Jeffreys can be heard arranging drug deals in and around Taunton.

Jeffreys is due back in court Sept. 28.

Two other men who were major targets of the wiretap investigation were arraigned Monday in Taunton District Court.

Jose Fernandes, 24, of Taunton, was charged with 14 counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws and was ordered held on $20 cash bail.

Brian Lacombe, 22, of 39 Orchard St., Taunton, was arraigned on eight counts of conspiracy to violate drug laws and was ordered held on $15,000 cash bail.

Both Fernandes and Lacombe are due back in court Sept. 13.

Contact Gerry Tuoti at gtuoti@tauntongazette.com.

Half Ton Pot Bust in Abington Massachusetts

2010-08-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

"We're not dealing with the average dime bag on the corner of the street, we're dealing with direct shipment," said Abington Police Deputy Chief Christopher Cutter.

This is what Abington, Massachusetts Police found when they acted on a tip and busted up a marijuana shipment Monday that they believe came from Mexico.

Prosecutor Eric Drury said, "Unknown parties has paid additional shipping monies to be made aware of the location of the shipment as well as any problems incurred in transit, this is unusual for shipments."

So police met the shipment that contained two crates at a local freight company, just as prosecutors say Tommy Colbert of Brockton, Mass. showed up with a rental truck to pick up the crates.

Police say drug dogs hit on the scent of narcotics, and they secured a search warrant to see what was inside.

After unwrapping layers of shrink wrap and garbage bags, they came to this Mexican newspaper.

Deputy Chief Cutter said, "As soon as we got to that layer of newspaper there was an overwhelming smell of fabric softener."

Drury said, "This elaborate packaging secured a tightly compacted dense green vegetable type substance."

That green substance was determined to be marijuana - more than 500 pounds of it, worth more than one million dollars.

Police took Colbert into custody - charging him with 4 felonies, including drug trafficking.

"Highly unusual, we're usually dealing with, at the most, a pound here, a pound there, but to have upwards of 700 pounds of marijuana that is extremely unusual," said Cutter.

What also peaked their interest is that Colbert is a Boston wedding photographer who has what prosecutors call a minor record.

Cutter said, "We have evidence to believe that the suspect has picked up other shipments from that terminal, we're investigating what those other shipments might have been."

Colbert's defense attorney Richard Lane said in court that his client has been a photographer for more than 35 years, has two children, and has lived in Massachusetts all his life.

Colbert is being held on $40,000 cash bail.

He's due back in court on September 14th.

Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer James Powderly's Client Ordered Held Without Bail on Kidnapping and Rape Charges

2010-08-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

HOWEVER DOUBTS ARE RAISED REGARDING THE ACCURACY OF THE ARREST GIVEN THE VICTIM'S FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THE DEFENDANT IN A PHOTO LINEUP

By Will Richmond

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Aug 03, 2010 @ 10:34 PM

Last update Aug 04, 2010 @ 02:48 PM

FALL RIVER —

The man accused of abducting a woman from her porch and raping her will remain behind bars after a judge ruled he is a danger to the community.

District Court Judge Toby Mooney agreed to hold Angel Luis Cruz, 37, of 186 Tremont St., Apt. 1, for 90 days without bail for his alleged actions on July 25. He is accused of kidnapping a 58-year-old woman from outside her Flint home and sexually assaulting her inside his apartment. Cruz is being charged with kidnapping, aggravated rape, assault with a dangerous weapon and intimidating a witness. Defense attorney James Powderly had sought that bail be set at $10,000.

He said that witnesses described the suspect as a white man who is taller than Cruz. He said that the victim also failed to pick Cruz’s photo from a photo array.

Cruz is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 9 for a pretrial conference.

Mooney also held Cruz without bail on a charge of assault and battery on a person over 60 following allegations that he attempted to abduct a woman near Kennedy Park in March. Powderly reserved the right to argue bail on that charge at a later date.

Witnesses during the dangerousness hearing described a horrific scene. They said Cruz held the victim by the throat and struck her in the head as he attempted to stuff her into his car.

“You could hear her just yelling, trying to get help from someone,” one witness said.

Anthony Ferry said he was outside his Tremont Street apartment when Cruz returned to his apartment in the same building. Ferry said he saw Cruz entering the building with a woman that he said was “upset and crying.”

The most graphic testimony came from investigating Officer Alan Beausoleil, who said Cruz first attempted to force himself on the victim inside the bathroom of his apartment, and when she resisted he tossed her onto a bed and continued to assault her in a variety of ways, threatening her the whole time.

“He covered her face, telling her ‘Don’t look at me. I know where you live. I know where your house is,’” Beausoleil said, based on the interview he conducted with the victim.

He said Cruz then forced the victim to shower and took over the duty after becoming displeased with her efforts.

Beausoleil said Cruz also forced the victim into a nude pose and photographed her with his cell phone. That photo was allegedly found after police received a warrant to search the phone’s contents.

In arguing for holding Cruz, Assistant District Attorney Maryclare Flynn informed the court that Cruz had been arrested in 2009 in Cleveland, Ohio, for allegedly photographing a woman inside a grocery store with his cell phone.

E-mail Will Richmond at wrichmond@heraldnews.com.

Arrests Made in Mass Prescription Drug Case

2010-08-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Published : Wednesday, 28 Jul 2010, 7:48 AM EDT

By Anthony Fay

TURNERS FALLS, Mass. (WWLP) - A man from Franklin County was arrested after a postal inspector allegedly delivered him a package full of Oxycodone pills.

According to a news release sent to 22News from the Montague Police Department, Mitchell Barre was arrested on four drug charges on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the release, a search warrant was issued after a postal inspector had discovered 300 Oxycodone pills inside a package that was to be delivered to 74 Turnpike Road in Turners Falls. Following the discovery, the postal inspector hand-delivered the package to the home.

The warrant was carried-out by members of the Montague, Greenfield, Deerfield, and Leverett Police Departments, as well as the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and the United States Postal Service. According to the release, the investigation into the case had been going on for more than a month.

Barre is being charged with Possession of a Class B Substance (not cocaine), Possession with intent to distribute, Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law, and Trafficking in a Class B Substance between 28 and 100 grams. His bail was set at $10,000.

Attorney Powderly Appointed in Fall River Kidnapping and Rape Case

2010-07-26T18:16:00.001-07:00

Suspect held without bail in Fall River kidnapping, rape

By Michael Holtzman and Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jul 26, 2010 @ 01:25 PM

Last update Jul 26, 2010 @ 06:31 PM

FALL RIVER —

In a crime Police Chief Daniel Racine called “one of the worst acts of violence in recent memory,” a city man allegedly kidnapped a 58-year-old woman from her front porch, took her to his apartment and raped her Sunday night.

The victim later led detectives to the Tremont Street residence where the assault took place, police said. The suspect, 38-year-old Angel Luis Cruz, was eventually found near his apartment and arrested.

Cruz, of 186 Tremont St., Apt. 1, was arraigned Monday on charges of kidnapping, aggravated rape, assault with a dangerous weapon and intimidating a witness. He was ordered held in custody pending a dangerousness hearing set for Aug. 3.

Defense lawyer James Powderly made no argument for bail. Instead, he asked to be allowed to make that argument at the dangerousness hearing.
The victim was likely chosen at random, said police spokesman Sgt. Paul Gauvin. “There’s nothing to believe he knew her.”

The middle-aged Asian victim was treated and released at Charlton Memorial Hospital, Gauvin said.

“She came home at 5:30 or 6 this morning,” the woman’s oldest son, 38, said after Cruz’s arraignment. “With the comfort of her neighbors and family, I think she is glad to be home.

“She is angry. She is so small, she couldn’t defend herself.”

Police said the victim was dragged from her porch near Alden and Harrison streets about 7:30 p.m. One of her sons witnessed the abduction and briefly gave chase, providing police with a description of the suspect's car and a partial license plate number.

An hour later, the “visibly upset” victim was walking toward her home and told police she had been dropped off in the area of Quarry and Lebanon streets.

She told them she was threatened with physical violence and “the suspect continually told the victim that he would assault her with tools that were lying on the floor of the car,” reports said.

She told police she was physically forced into the Tremont Street apartment and sexually assaulted.

With the help of landmarks, descriptions and witnesses, police identified Cruz as the suspect. Detective John McDonald located the suspect a short time later in his Nissan Sentra near his residence. He was immediately taken into custody.

McDonald and Detective Lawrence Ferreira executed a search warrant early Monday and police levied the charges against Cruz. The rape charge carries a life sentence in state prison, Gauvin said.

“This attack is one of the worst acts of violence in recent memory. The assault and abduction of this victim is disturbing and shocking, even to seasoned investigators,” Racine said. “While we are remorseful the attack occurred, I am pleased the officers were able to locate and apprehend the suspect in short order. Our hearts go out to the victim and her family.”

The woman’s son and several other relatives sat quietly in District Court during the arraignment. When Cruz was lead into the courtroom and placed in the prisoner’s dock, which is surrounded by glass, he never glanced in their direction.

“I wanted to climb over the bench when I saw him,” the woman’s son said. “They put that glass there for a reason.”

The police department’s Major Crimes detectives and Crime Scene Identification units took part in the investigation. A massive search was conducted prior to the arrest, with Environmental Police searching the Fall River/Freetown reservation area.

Officer Alan Beausoleil responded initially to the scene and interviewed the victim’s son, reports said.

E-mail Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.
E-mail Kevin P. O'Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Former equestrian Silva gets 22.5 years for exploitation, child porn charges

2010-07-25T12:32:00.001-07:00

By Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jun 30, 2010 @ 08:41 PM

Fall River —

Joseph Silva is an evil person who hurt those who trusted him, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.

But, because of the strength and courage of a small group of young women, Silva will not be able to do that anymore, Detective Joseph Martin added.

Silva, 35, formerly of Swansea, will spend almost all of his life in prison or on probation after pleading guilty to using his job as an equestrian trainer at stables in Berkley and Swansea to seduce girls, take pornographic pictures of them and share those pictures with others.

He agreed on Tuesday to 270 months — 22.5 years — in federal custody for the sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of and possession of child pornography.

He was brought into Bristol County Superior Court Wednesday where he admitted his guilt before Judge Robert Kane to statutory rape, posing a child in the nude for photographs, possession of child pornography, indecent assault on a child younger than 14 and disseminating photographs of a child in the nude.

Silva was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to run concurrently with his federal sentence, and to 20 years of probation that will begin when he completes his federal sentence and probation.

“The man before you is not a good man,” one young woman testified before Silva was sentenced. “He likes to prey on children to fulfill his fantasies.”

The woman, one of the victims in the case, was not identified by name. She told the court that she was just one of Silva’s victims to attempt suicide.

“Before I met him, I was a happy and healthy teenage girl. That slowly went downhill. The ways I let him into my life because I trusted him I will regret forever.

“I wasn’t his first victim and I wasn’t the last. There is no punishment enough for what he has done.”

Karen Lynne Fabrizio of Pembroke, a close relative of one of the victims, also addressed Silva. Silva faced Fabrizio, as he faced all the victims, without visible emotion.

“You hurt people so much with what you have done,” she said. “You took away their childhood.

“You need to know that the sickness you have is the poison that will destroy you.”

After the hearing, Fabrizio added: “I just want the girls to know to always speak up. Don’t be afraid. Speak up, as scary as it is.

“To the parents, make sure you listen to your children. And it is never the child’s fault. It is never their fault.”

The case began when a Swansea teenager went to the police and met with Detective Joseph A. Martin and Sgt. Gregory Ryan. Silva was arrested March 28, 2007, at his home on Dillon Lane in Swansea.

“The reason he is convicted and going to prison lies with this group of amazing young women,” Martin said after the sentencing. “They had the strength and fortitude to keep going.

“Because of that, they saved countless other girls from the same fate.”
The plea agreement was worked out between prosecutor Silvia Rudman and defense lawyer Joseph J. Balliro Jr.

Silva must serve his federal sentence. With a sentence of 22.5 years, he must spend 18 years in federal prison before he is eligible for parole. His state sentence will be served at the same time.

Once he finishes his federal obligation, he will be on state probation for 20 years. During that time he must register as a sex offender, have no contact with the victims or with minors, cannot use a computer except for his work, will be subject to random, warrantless searches if he has computer equipment in his home and will be required to remain in Massachusetts except with the permission of his probation officer.

Silva has been in custody intermittently since his arrest. He was granted bail but that bail was revoked after he contacted one of the victims in the case.

Kane gave Silva prison credit for the time he has already served.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Five Arraigned on Drug Trafficking Charges

2010-07-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Alleged ring was based in Colombia, US attorney says

By Marissa Lang, Globe Correspondent | July 23, 2010

After a trail of cash led federal investigators from Boston to Colombia in a five-year investigation, eight men were arrested, five of whom were arraigned in Boston yesterday afternoon on drug trafficking charges.

The investigation began in 2005, when federal investigators discovered that drug money was being delivered to Boston, where it would land in the hands of professional money launderers before working its way back to drug dealers in Colombia.

It is unusual for Latin American drug traffickers to be extradited and tried in Boston, as the city is not a typical port of entry used by international narcotic traffickers. But the Hub has just as much of a stake in stopping the flow of drugs as any other US city, US District Attorney Carmen Ortiz, the top federal prosecutor for Massachusetts, said at a news conference in Boston yesterday.

“It shows that Boston is not just some tiny town that does not care about solving the national and international problem of drug trafficking,’’ he said. “We’re going to play a role in it.’’

To trace the money, federal agents posed as money launderers and were hired to handle some of the drug ring’s cash. Over the past several years, investigators used the money trail to find where cocaine was arriving in the United States. They also tracked cocaine traffic in Colombia.

“What is unique about this case is that we normally follow the drug trail to the money,’’ Ortiz said. “In this case, the exact opposite was true.’’

Federal investigators coordinated multiple “money pickups’’ in which they would receive money from drug traffickers and then wire it through “undercover bank accounts,’’ or occasionally the black market, back to ac counts controlled by the drug cartel.

During the five-year probe, which became known as Operation Beanpot, officials said investigators seized 2,900 kilograms of cocaine worth at least $100 million in the United States.

The drug traffickers used Filipino Merchant Marines working on commercial vessels to ship the narcotics out of Colombia and into the United States. The cocaine taken to the United States mostly went through ports of entry in New Orleans and Miami, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.

It is unknown whether any drugs trafficked by the suspects ever landed in Boston. But Ortiz said the international drug trade affects Boston.

“People in our city die and get hurt, and neighborhoods get harmed, by these drugs,’’ Ortiz said. “If we can play a role in keeping those drugs from leaving Colombia and entering Boston . . . then we are playing a massive role.’’

The five men who appeared in court yesterday were identified as Leyvan Alvarez-Bastidas, 39, who is also known as “Ivan,’’ Hector Javier Castro-Meza, 47, known as “Pepe,’’ Gustavo Castro-Caicedo, 50, known as “Luis Amaro,’’ Fidel Alberto Ruales-Vallijo, 36, known as “Cui,’’ and May Adolfo Morcillo-Molina, 29, known as “May.’’

Yesterday afternoon, the five men were led into the US District Court in Boston with their hands and feet shackled, heads down and faces drawn.

Being held by Colombian authorities are Luis Alberto Zapata-Sanchez, 43, known as “El Negro,’’ Bernardo Alberto Merino-Cuaran, 27, known as “Gaviota,’’ and Alex Castro-Cortes, 34, known as “Ali.’’ They may also be brought to Boston pending approval by the Colombian president.

Federal officials would not say whether any of the defendants were suspected to have ties to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a guerrilla army better known as FARC that has been linked to numerous acts of violence, kidnapping, and participation in the illegal drug trade.

The United States has charged all of the men with the same charges: violating the US Code on multiple drug-related counts. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison with supervised releases and a $4 million fine, said Assistant US Attorney Zachary R. Hafer, who served as the prosecutor in yesterday’s arraignment.

All five of the men pleaded “not guilty’’ and accepted voluntary detention, meaning they will be held by the US Marshal until their next appearance in court, set for Sept. 15.

While defense attorneys in the case declined to comment yesterday, court officials said that the United States would be ready to bring as many as 15 witnesses to testify if the case were to go to trial.

Federal investigators said unlike other drug extradition cases, this time, undercover agents were able to successfully identify and apprehend members of the cartel from the top (Alvarez-Bastidas was identified as the group leader) to the bottom (individuals who transported small amounts of cocaine into the United States on buses and trucks).

The investigation was conducted by special agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration and criminal investigators from the Internal Revenue Service, officials said. Investigators from Colombia’s Administrative Department of Security, the Colombian equivalent of the FBI, also participated.

“International borders offer no security to drug traffickers who seek to flood our communities with tons of cocaine and launder the proceeds as alleged in this indictment,’’ Steven M. Derr, the DEA’s special agent-in-charge, said in a statement. “Traffickers will not escape the grasp of law enforcement professionals who have dedicated themselves to putting these criminal groups out of business.’’

Marissa Lang can be reached at mlang@globe.com.

Police Smell Pot Coming from Car, Discover Cocaine in Wellsley Mass.

2010-07-21T17:17:00.001-07:00

WELLSLEY PATCH

Driver charged with possession of Class B substance.

By Callum Borchers | Email the author | July 14, 2010

A 21-year-old Wellesley man caught with marijuana was right when he told a police detective pot had been decriminalized in Massachusetts. Keeping a bag of cocaine in your car, however, is still very much a criminal act.

While making an early-morning motor vehicle stop on Weston Road Sunday, two officers, including a detective, smelled marijuana emanating from a yellow vehicle as it passed them. The police followed the car to the Mobil gas station on Washington Street, where the detective questioned the driver, Tyler Boyd of 4 Damien Road, about the odor.

Boyd, who had two male passengers, initially said there was no marijuana in the car, according to police; he later conceded he had less than an ounce of pot and cited the state's 2008 decriminalization of marijuana, which makes such small possession punishable by a $100 civil fine. Offenders are not reported to the state's criminal history board. Boyd turned over a bottle that contained about two grams of marijuana.

The detective also noticed in the back seat an open 12-pack of beer, which one passenger had attempted to cover with a towel. Additionally, police located a bag containing a white powder - which a field test showed to be cocaine - and a bottle of pills, the prescription for which did not belong to anyone in the vehicle. Boyd was arrested and charged with possession of a class B substance; the two passengers will be summoned to Dedham District Court for the same. Boyd also was issued a town bylaw violation for the marijuana possession.

"We see marijuana possession periodically," Wellesley police spokeswoman Lt. Marie Cleary said. "Other narcotics, less often. That's not to say it never happens, but it's not weekly or even monthly."

Attempted Murder Charges DISMISSED Against Attorney James Powderly's Client Facing A Mandatory Minimum 10 Year Prison Term

2010-07-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

By Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jul 19, 2010 @ 10:48 PM

Fall River —

Charges were dismissed against Luis Chevere, one of three people charged with attempted murder for the shooting on Bedford Street on May 5.

Chevere, 19, of Pine Street, was released after prosecutors declined to continue the case against him.

His two former co-defendants have been indicted and are scheduled for arraignment Monday in Superior Court. They are Jovaughn Mills, 18, of Fall River, and Megan Ferreira, 20, of New Bedford.

Police allege Mills and Ferreira were in a car on Bedford Street just before midnight on May 5. Ferreira was driving when Mills opened fire on a second car at Covel Street, police said. The bullets went through the windows and door of the car, striking a Pine Street man, now 23, who needed medical treatment for a wound to his arm and for car window glass embedded in his face.

Police alleged that Chevere was in the car at the time of the shooting.
But at a hearing on May 12 in which Chevere asked for bail, defense lawyer James Powderly argued that the case against Chevere was weak.

The victim knew Chevere, but did not identify him as one of his attackers, Powderly said.

“The fact that the victim did not identify Mr. Chevere speaks volumes,” Powderly said.

District Court Judge Toby Mooney denied bail to Chevere, but bail was set at $750 cash when the matter was appealed to Superior Court.

That bail was returned after prosecutors decided there were insufficient facts to support bringing the case to a grand jury.

Mills and Ferreira have been held since their arrest two days after the shooting.

They can argue for bail again when they are arraigned in Superior Court.
If they are denied bail, the prosecution must be ready to try the case within 90 days.

A conviction on the charge of attempted murder carries a possible sentence of 20 years in prison.

Because prosecutors charge a gun was used, Mills and Ferreira face a minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Client Facing Attempted Murder Charge Granted Bail After Attorney Powderly's Argument

2010-07-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

By Kevin P. O’Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jul 09, 2010 @ 08:51 PM

FALL RIVER —

Chantra Say is too dangerous to walk the streets of the city, a judge ruled Friday.

But his friend, Mary Huot, can go free because her brother promised to watch over her.

Say, 19, of Stevens Street, and Huot, 19, of Fordney Street, appeared before District Court Judge Lance Garth to fight the prosecution argument that they should be held in custody until they can be tried on charges of attempted murder.

Those two, plus Jessika Sardinha, 19, of Edgemont Street, are charged in connection with the shooting of Stephen Ponte, 20, and Stephen Howland, 20, both of Hartwell Street, at the corner of Plymouth Avenue and Rodman Street on July 1 at 11:35 p.m.

“They both present a danger to the citizens of Fall River,” prosecutor Carolyn Morrissette argued Friday during a dangerousness hearing held for Say and Huot. “The shooting was in a heavily travelled part of the city and there were several people about.

“The victims did suffer extensive injuries. Mr. Stephen Howland has a shattered femur. He will require surgery to repair it.”

Morrissette called one witness to the stand. Officer Thomas DeMello reported he was the first police officer to arrive at the shooting, pulling up just moments after it occurred when he saw three witnesses flag down his police cruiser.

Howland was lying on the ground outside the Shell gas station, bleeding from wounds. Ponte was inside with bystanders starting first aid, DeMello said.

Moments later, officers stopped a Geo Tracker on Hartwell Street and Say, Huot and Sardinha were arrested. Police say they also recovered a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol from the car, its clip empty, its slide locked back — something that happens when a semi-automatic pistol his fired until it is empty.

Police allege Sardinha borrowed her mother’s car and then drove Say and Huot to a parking lot behind the Shell station to let off another friend at Straight Shooters, a pool hall.
On their way there, they drove by Ponte and Howland, who were on foot, crossing Plymouth Avenue at Rodman Street. Say and the two men shouted at each other as they passed.

When Sardinha drove into the parking lot, Say and Huot got out of the Tracker and went through a fence into the Shell property.

Sardinha later told police she heard gunshots and drove away, pulling onto Plymouth Avenue north before turning around to drive south on Plymouth Avenue. She saw Say and Huot run across Plymouth Avenue, so she stopped to pick them up and then drove away until she was stopped.

James Powderly, the lawyer for Huot, said nothing in the prosecution case justified denying bail to Huot.

“There is nothing in her history to suggest she is a dangerous person,” Powderly argued. “Mere presence at the scene of the crime is not enough to prove joint venture.

“There is no evidence at all that Ms. Huot knew there was a gun in the car, knew there was going to be a shooting or did anything after the shooting other than to flee.”

All three co-defendants are charged with attempted murder, illegal possession of a gun and assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecution alleges Say had the pistol when he got into the car and he was the only one to handle or fire the gun.

Ken Van Colen, Say’s lawyer, asked the court to release Say to home confinement while awaiting trial.

“There is more to this than just a random shooting,” Van Colen said. “Given that, are the people of Fall River in danger?”

The law requires prosecutors to begin trial within 90 days when a defendant is denied bail, but generally the court allows that time to be extended.

“The commonwealth is making a promise to the court that they will try my client within 90 days,” Van Colen said. “I have yet to see that happen in previous cases.”

Say was ordered held in custody pending trial. Huot was released to her brother’s custody but was ordered to report weekly to the Fall River police, refrain from drugs or alcohol and to observe a curfew of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Bail was previously set at $10,000 for Sardinha.

The case will be referred to a grand jury for prosecution in Superior Court. If prosecutors do not present the matter to a grand jury before Aug. 4, the case will return to District Court for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

A conviction on the charge of attempted murder with a gun carries a maximum sentence of 20 years with a 10 year minimum sentence.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

Attorney Powderly Defends Client Implicated and Charged in February '10 Fall River Murder

2010-06-20T19:32:00.001-07:00

By Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted Jun 15, 2010 @ 06:25 PM

FALL RIVER —

A city man was charged with murder Tuesday for a Feb. 27 killing that prosecutors say was part of a gang feud.

But the man killed had nothing to do with the gangs involved or the feud, the prosecutor added.

Erroll Powell, 21, of 194 Fifth St., was ordered held without bail. He is charged with walking up to a red Jaguar sedan parked on Charles Street and firing at least three shots into the back seat, killing Jonathan Nieves and wounding his brother, Jacobo Nieves, at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 27.

“This was the result of a gang dispute,” prosecutor Stephen Nadeau told District Court Judge Joseph Macy. “It appears Mr. Nieves was an innocent victim.

“No one in that car was related to the gang dispute that was going on.”
Powell was ordered held pending a hearing on Friday to determine if he should be granted bail while awaiting trial.

Delma Sadm, 26, also of 194 Fifth St., was arrested with Powell and also ordered held without bail. She is charged with being an accessory to murder and intimidating a witness.

Her lawyer, James Powderly, is scheduled to return to court today to offer an argument for bail.

Police became aware of the shooting when Nieves and his brother were delivered to the emergency room at St. Anne’s Hospital at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 27. Jonathan Nieves was pronounced dead on arrival with three bullets in his chest. Jacobo Nieves was taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for treatment of gunshot wounds to his left hand and right biceps.

When the brothers arrived at the hospital, police were already circling the Sunset Hill housing complex after getting calls reporting gunshots there.
The Nieves brothers had been in the back seat of the red 2002 Jaguar sedan when someone walked up to the passenger side of the car and fired at least three rounds into the car.

Police recovered three spent .40 caliber shells at the scene and pathologists pulled a .40 caliber slug from Jonathan Nieves’ body, according to the police report.

Fall River detectives and State Police investigators assigned to District Attorney Sam Sutter began the investigation that night.

Police located witnesses who reported seeing a light colored Lincoln Town Car leaving the area immediately after the shooting. The car was noticeable because it had a New York Yankees decal in the rear window, police were told.

The car provided the break: The car was located on Fifth Street and the owner later admitted the car was borrowed by a friend on Feb. 27 in the hours before dawn. The car owner told police she believed the friend was going to buy drugs.

But shortly after the car was returned, police allege, Delma Sadm called the owner of the car and ordered her to clean it out, wipe it down and to remove the Yankee sticker from the window.

Nadeau told the judge the investigation is continuing and requested that case files be kept sealed from the public while others involved in the shooting are sought.

Defense lawyer Gerald FitzGerald did not object to sealing the file. Judge Macy approved the request.

Nieves’ death set off a furor in the city. It came during a weekend that included a stabbing and another shooting, both unrelated.

Mayor William Flanagan met with police brass about the incidents and mentioned them a week later when he promoted Police Capt. Daniel Racine to chief.

Powell is charged with murder, two charges of assault and battery with a firearm, illegal possession of a firearm, using a gun in the commission of a crime and firing a gun within 500 feet of a home.

He faces a possible sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Sadm is charged with being an accessory and intimidating a witness.

The charge against her reads: “Knowing that Erroll Powell committed a felony, to wit, murder, (she) did harbor, conceal, maintain or assist such person with the intent that such person should avoid or escape detection, arrest, trial or punishment.”

Sadm faces a possible sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

"My Client has a strong alibi. This is clearly a case of mistaken identify." - Attorney Powderly on behalf of Joseph Rocha

2010-06-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

FOUR CHARGED WITH ARMED ROBBERY IN FALL RIVER

By Kevin P. O'Connor

Herald News Staff Reporter

Posted June 14, 2010 @ 10:38 PM

FALL RIVER —

Four men, charged with a robbery that netted a few hundred dollars in cash, will need thousands of dollars if they want to post bail for their freedom.

Derek Rocha, 23, and Joseph Rocha, 24, both of Whipple Street, Bruce Alves, 24, of Healey Street, and Andrew Aguiar, 23, of Church Street, were all arrested Sunday, charged with robbing two Fall River men, both 18, on Brown Street earlier that day.

The men told police they were sitting in their car in a parking lot, waiting for a friend, when they were approached by two of the men, whom they knew slightly.

The men began to speak and then one of the four defendants requested a cigarette. When one of the 18-year-olds complied, he had a knife put to his throat and was ordered to turn over his cell phone and cash, police said. Both men complied, police were told.

The two 18-year-old men called police an hour later to report the crime. Officer Charles Freitas took the report and relayed a description of the car the men said the robbers used. The four suspects were arrested shortly after that when Officer Dwayne Cabeceiras spotted their car on Hope Street and went into the Santo Cristo Club to find them.

Judge Christopher Welch set bail at $2,000 cash for Derek Rocha, $2,500 cash for Joseph Rocha, $1,000 cash for Alves and $3,000 cash for Aguiar. An individual’s past police record is taken into account when bail is set.

All four men told police they had been in the Santo Cristo Club all afternoon, watching World Cup soccer, defense lawyers argued Monday.

“My client has a strong alibi,” said lawyer James Powderly, the lawyer for Joseph Rocha. “This is clearly a case of mistaken identity.”

Both Powderly and lawyer Kenneth Van Colen, the lawyer for Alves, asked for and received permission to hire an investigator to find witnesses who saw the four men in the Santo Cristo Club through the afternoon.

“Everything about this tells you something else is going on,” Van Colen said. “These two victims don’t want to report the crime. It took them an hour to call the police. When the police arrived, they gave conflicting stories about what happened.

“The case is suspect, at best.”

The charge of armed robbery is a felony that carries a minimum 5-year sentence with a possible sentence of life in prison.

The case will go to a grand jury, which must determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

The lawyers in the case will return to court on July 9 for a status conference.

E-mail Kevin P. O’Connor at koconnor@heraldnews.com.

FBI arrests alleged boss of Puerto Rico drug ring

2010-06-14T19:25:00.001-07:00

FBI arrests alleged boss of Puerto Rico drug ring

By MIKE MELIA (AP) – 3 days ago

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The FBI has arrested the alleged ringleader of a violent drug-trafficking ring suspected of ordering five recent murders, an agent said Friday.

Jose Claudio Montes, also known as "Chiki Bazooka," was captured Thursday inside a housing project where he allegedly controlled the trade of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, said Luis Fraticelli, special agent in charge of the FBI in Puerto Rico.

Claudio and dozens of associates were arrested as part of a lengthy investigation of drug gangs inside Puerto Rico's housing projects that has led to more than 1,400 arrests since 2006.

Authorities have arrested 41 of 76 people who were indicted with Claudio by a U.S. grand jury. The rest are believed to be in Puerto Rico with the exception of five, who are in Delaware and Massachusetts, Fraticelli said.

Also Friday, U.S. authorities announced the seizure of 532 pounds (241 kilograms) of cocaine hidden on a pleasure craft named "La Burla" — Spanish for "Mockery" — that was intercepted Thursday off Puerto Rico's west coast. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested the two Puerto Rican men and one Dominican man aboard.

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is a favored transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the U.S. mainland. Some of the drugs are consumed locally and authorities blame the Caribbean island's soaring homicide rate largely on feuds between rival drug rings.

Claudio is responsible for five slayings over a one-month period beginning in April and had targeted seven other people for execution, Fraticelli said. He has not been charged with murder and the island's police chief said the slayings are under investigation.

During a raid last month on the gang's property, Claudio threatened to kill anyone who came to arrest him as well as residents of the San Juan housing project, the agent said.

"He said 'I'm going to kill everybody,'" Fraticelli said. "From this day forward he will not take advantage of anybody."

Three Men Arraigned on Insurance Fraud Charges in 2008 Car Fire

2010-06-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

If you or a loved one is facing arson or fraud charges, call to speak with Attorney James Powderly now at 508-343-0676 for a free, confidential consultation. Attorney Powderly can advise you and help you in dealing with Police Detectives and on-going investigations, a critical part of evidence gathering process, with the goal of effectively asserting your Constitutional Rights. If you have been contacted by the Police and they have asked you to give a statement, call an experienced criminal defense lawyer regarding your rights and options before speaking with the police.

Three Men Arraigned on Insurance Fraud Charges in 2008 Car Fire

By Staff reports

Taunton Daily Gazette

Posted Jun 11, 2010 @ 10:05 AM

TAUNTON —

A lengthy investigation into a November 2008 vehicle fire in a remote section of Rehoboth resulted in the recent arraignments of three men on insurance fraud and conspiracy charges.

On June 1 in Taunton District Court, Woonsocket, R.I. residents Delin Dambra, 29, and Craig Ostrowski, 22, and Attleboro resident Wesley Salvas, 28, were arraigned on charges brought by Rehoboth police officer Brian Ramos.

Dambra, was charged with burning a motor vehicle to defraud the insurer, accessory before the fact, accessory after the fact and conspiracy, all felonies.

Ostrowski and Salvas are each charged with burning a motor vehicle, burning a motor vehicle to defraud the insurer and conspiracy, all felonies.
The charges were made after a lengthy investigation into a vehicle fire that occurred on Nov. 19, 2008 on Starr Lane. This area is in a remote section of town by the Swansea line.

The vehicle, a grey 1999 Jeep Cherokee, was fully engulfed in flames when police and fire personnel arrived on the scene. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire.

The suspects' next date in court is July 7, 2010 for a pre-trial conference.

Dennis men get 15 years for cocaine trafficking

2010-06-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

*****If you or a loved one are facing criminal charges in Massachusetts for the trafficking or distribution of cocaine, herion, or other controlled substances call Attorney James Powderly for a free, confidential consultation to learn how a skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer can help protect your Constitutional rights.

CAPE COD TIMES

By Jake Berry

jberry@capecodonline.com

June 05, 2010

Two Dennis men will face at least 15 years each in state prison after they were found guilty yesterday of trafficking nearly a half-kilogram of cocaine from New York City.

Following six days of testimony and more than 20 witnesses, a Barnstable County Superior Court jury took about two hours to return guilty verdicts against Hector Jimenez-Simo, 25, and Anthony Reyes, 27, both of 109 Route 28, who were each charged after police found them with 436 grams of cocaine.

Investigators from the Dennis Police Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, who had been tracking Reyes and Jimenez-Simo since November, arrested the two men Dec. 5 on Route 25 in Bourne as they returned from New York City with the drugs, according to the Cape and Islands District Attorney's office.

The cocaine, valued at more than $88,000, was stored in a television set in the rear passenger seat.

"It is a large amount of cocaine, and it illustrates the pipeline between New York City and Cape Cod for the distribution of drugs," District Attorney Michael O'Keefe said yesterday. "It's a good thing this particular load was intercepted."

The case is thought to be the first on the Cape to include evidence presented from new Global Positioning System technology which investigators used to track the vehicle to and from New York and around the Cape as they were allegedly made drug deals, said Assistant District Attorney Nicole Manoog, who prosecuted the case.

"I don't think many courts have allowed that evidence before. ... It's definitely becoming an important tool," Manoog said yesterday.

"We've all seen how GPS has helped us in our personal lives. This is a great application of that technology for law enforcement," echoed Dennis police Chief Mike Whalen.

Judge Robert C. Rufo sentenced Jimenez-Simo, thought to lead the operation, to 17 to 20 years at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Cedar Junction in Walpole. Reyes, who prosecutors believe served as a body guard, was sentenced to 15 years.

Reyes' attorney, Lawrence Glynn of Falmouth, did not return calls yesterday. Jimenez-Simo's attorney, Robert Galibois of Plymouth, declined to comment.

"(Those are) as harsh a sentence as you receive for manslaughter," said O'Keefe, the District Attorney. "I wouldn't suggest that this is an end to the flow (of drugs from New York). But I hope it sends a message to those people who would engage in this level of trafficking, you're going to face justice."

Woman arrested for passing false prescriptions

2010-06-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

****If you or a loved one are facing Massachusetts Drug Charges resulting from the possession, distribution or sale of prescription drugs or pill, call Attorney James Powderly for a free, confidential consultation to understand how a skilled drug defense lawyer can help protect your Constitutional rights.

SALEM (FOX 25 / myfoxboston.com) - A woman was arrested this morning for passing false prescriptions with her small child in tow.

Michele Manion, 27, allegedly tried to get a prescription filled for 60 Percocets at a local Target. Percocet is a pain medication. The prescription was written on a pad that had been stolen out of a Massachusetts doctor’s office.

Manion was arrested at the scene. She and her child were taken to the Salem Police Department for booking. The child was released into the custody of the father.

This mother also possessed other drugs including a bottle of Klonopin, which is an anti-seizure drug, and an empty bottle of Oxycodone. Police are still investigating the legitimacy of these prescriptions.

Manion was charged with possession of a false or forged prescription, which is a felony. She was arraigned in Salem District Court and was released on $500 cash bail.