Nearly 5,000 Bags Of Heroin And Fentanyl Seized In Major I-91 Drug Bust

Altogether, officers seized nearly 5,000 bags of individually wrapped opioids - heroin and fentanyl - among other drugs.

On Monday, Jan. 25, around 1 a.m. Massachusetts State Police were patrolling Interstate 91 around the State Police Trooper-Shelburne Falls barracks when a Chevy Silverado allegedly sped by at 88 mph, police said. The speed limit on I-91, for the most part, is 65 mph.

The trooper turned on his cruiser’s emergency lights and signaled the truck to pull over, which it did, police said. There were three people in the vehicle.

It was soon discovered that the driver, Benjamin Kendall, 31, of Vershire, Vermont, did not have a license to operate a motor vehicle. Kendall allegedly said the truck was rented, but he didn’t know by whom.

The officer allegedly observed multiple items in the truck that are used for selling and taking drugs. Police removed the vehicle’s two passengers to conduct a search. Backup from the Greenfield Police Department responded to assist.

In the truck, police allegedly found 200 wax bags containing a substance suspected to be heroin, 10 grams of a substance suspected to be crystal methamphetamine, 9 pills, and about 2 grams of a substance suspected to be cocaine, police said.

A Massachusetts State Police K9, “Kyber,” searched the vehicle as well and allegedly alerted officers to the dashboard area, which appeared to have been tampered with, police said.

When officers opened the secret dashboard hiding spot, they found 16 large bricks, each containing 300 bags of a substance suspected to be fentanyl, along with more packages of heroin, police said.

All three people in the truck were arrested and charged.

• Kendall, the alleged driver, was charged with trafficking in heroin, possession of a class A substance, possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute, possession of a class B substance, possession of a class E substance, conspiracy to violate drug law, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, speeding, and a license plate violation, police said. There was also a warrant out for Kendall’s arrest, police said. Bail was set at $25,000.
• Brooke Rowell, 37, Concord, Vermont, and an alleged passenger, was charged with trafficking heroin, possession of a class A substance, possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute, 2 counts of possession of a class B substance, possession of a class E substance, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and tampering with evidence, police said. Bail was set at $20,000.
• Jesse Pease, 39, West Fairlee, Vermont, another alleged passenger, was charged with trafficking in heroin, possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute, 2 counts possession of a class B substance, conspiracy to violate drug law, and tampering with evidence, police said. Pease was also arrested on an active warrant. Bail was set at $25,000.

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