Cape Cod Drug Case: Trafficking Oxycodone

**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

**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 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

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.

Copyright 2010 Wicked Local Fall River. Some rights reserved

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

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.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1335222/Art-Taylor-swallows-entire-bag-cocaine-escapes-drug-charges.html#ixzz18Jez5tyT

Melrose Police arrest three amid drug investigation

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.

Copyright 2010 Melrose Free Press. Some rights reserved

Medford Man Gets 15 Years in Cocaine Bust

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

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.

Copyright 2010 The Herald News. Some rights reserved