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Father, Son Busted With Drugs For Sale, Illegal Gun In Central Mass: Police
A father and son face a mountain of felonies after police found an illegal gun, more than 100 grams of cocaine, and several other drugs inside their Worcester County home, authorities said.
Michael Pitler, age 45, and Zachary Pitler, age 21, both of Blackstone, were arrested on Friday, Feb. 16, after police and federal agents raided their home in the area of Michelle Lane, officials said.
“Through these arrests we have removed a significant amount of narcotics from our community,” Blackstone Police Chief Gregory Gilmore said. “Our department takes our commitment to narcotics…
11,000 Bags Of Heroin, Coke: Trio Busted Dealing From Springfield Apartment, Police Say
Three men were arrested with a large amount of heroin and cocaine on Thursday, Feb. 1, following a raid on an apartment in Springfield.
Helpy Montero-Martinez, age 49, Justin Ramos, 23, and Luis Valentin, 49, all of Springfield, were busted as part of the sting, Springfield police said.
Detectives were watching the apartment at 150 White Street as a potential drug den and had identified Martinez and Ramos as potential suspects.
Officers were watching the apartment Thursday morning and followed Martinez and Ramos as they drove to Hancock Street to meet Valentine, who …
750 Pounds Of Marijuana Worth $1.5M Found In Randolph Sting, Duo Busted: Police
Two Braintree men were busted with more than 750 pounds of marijuana following a months-long investigation in Randolph, authorities announced on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
Mukunda Znajmiecka, age 37, and Clifford Saint-Jean, age 25, face multiple felonies in the case, Randolph police announced. A 34-year-old Braintree man, who is linked to the operation but was not identified, was given a summons to court for violating drug laws.
Police began investigating Znajmiecka and Saint-Jean months ago and raided multiple stash houses in Randolph and Braintree on Jan. 11, authorities s…
Mass Pill Mill Raid: 35 Pounds Of Fentanyl-Laced Fake Tablets Seized
Nearly 35 pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine-laced fake Adderall and Xanax pills were found during a state police bust of a drug lab in Whitman.
Andrew Billings, 39, of Plymouth, was arrested on Dec. 21, 2023, at his workplace, while the makeshift lab and his SUV on Essex Street in Whitman were searched by state police.
Troopers found large amounts of white powder, thousands of counterfeit prescription pills, a pharmaceutical-grade pill press, and related drug paraphernalia, police said.
“The property was so badly contaminated with strewn drug material, that Troopers evacuated the addr…
$500K Worth Of Guns, $100K In Drugs Found During Raid Of Longmeadow Home: Police
Two men were arrested after police found an arsenal of guns — some illegally manufactured — and more than $100,000 worth of drugs inside a home in Hampden County, authorities said.
Antonio Fusco and Franco Fusco, both of Longmeadow, were the target of a large-scale sting that featured multiple local and federal police agencies, Longmeadow police said on Monday, Dec. 4.
Officers raided their home on Thursday, Nov. 30, and found 625 grams of fentanyl in pill and powder form; 92 grams of powder cocaine with a combined street value of $101,000; a pill press, digital scales, cut…
Man With Third Eye Didn't See Western Mass Police Raid Coming; 3 Busted Following Tips: Cops
Holyoke residents fed up with a suspected open-air drug market alerted police to the operation, which launched a monthslong sting in Hampden County between police and the FBI, authorities said.
Police arrested three people at an apartment at 365 Appleton Street on Wednesday, Sept.6, and seized "significant quantities" of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, Holyoke police announced. They also found ammunition inside the home.
Jose Rivera, 39, Emilio Rivera, 36, and Brandy Bellemore, 30, were arrested in the sting that involved FBI agents in Western Massachusetts, police said. T…
License Plate Leads To 2 Teens In Cuffs On Drug Charges In Springfield: Police
A routine traffic stop in Springfield nearly turned ugly on Sunday, Aug. 20, when a teenager refused to remove his hand from inside a bag with a loaded gun, police said.
Officers pulled over a car on Armory Street just before 7:30 p.m. after they noticed the vehicle didn't have a front license plate. When they approached, they could smell marijuana and saw several burnt roaches, scales, cash, and more than the legal amount of pot inside, Springfield police said.
Zaddiel Aponte-Perez, 18, of Springfield, was placed under arrest, authorities said.
His 17-year-old passenger …
Police Chase Ends With Crash in Western Mass, Drug Charges For Wanted Holyoke Man
A routine traffic stop in Hampden County became a lot more for a wanted Holyoke man on Tuesday, Aug. 1, after he tried to run from police.
Christopher Caballero, 30, of Holyoke, faces a slew of charges following the chase in Chicopee, authorities said.
Officers first tried to pull over Cabellero's car just before 2:30 p.m. on Front St. when they noticed he didn't have a front license plate, Chicopee police said. But instead of stopping, Caballero floored it.
Caballero led police into Springfield, where he crashed in the parking lot of Liberty Street Plaza. He w…
Nearly 100 Pounds Of Drugs, Multiple Guns Seized From Western Mass Home
A multi-agency raid at a West Springfield house last week netted officers nearly 100 combined pounds of marijuana, magic mushrooms, cocaine, ecstasy, and edibles, authorities said. Investigators also found several weapons and $40,000 in cash in the home as well.
Maxwell Lacus, 18, and Kathleen Pare, 51, were arrested after police searched their home at 97 Almon Ave on June 13, Massachusetts State Police announced on Tuesday, June 20.
According to investigators, police found inside the home:
60 pounds of marijuana
A large quantity of THC edible products.
31 pounds of…
Neighbors Tip Off Cops About Man Selling More Than Just Snacks At Western Mass Bodega
A 33-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, June 14, after neighbors complained he was selling drugs out of a bodega in Hampden County.
Carlos Tejada is charged with trafficking fentanyl — 200 grams or more, Springfield police said. Officers arrested him with than 840 grams of the synthetic opioid, 100 rounds of ammo, $5,500 in cash, and another $1,000 worth of Canadian and Dominican currency, authorities said.
The investigation into Tejada began after people tipped off police to alleged drug deals happening at the Tejada-Gonzalez Market at 21 Locust Street, authorities sa…
Drug Ring Bust Leads To 20 Convictions In Western Mass
Authorities in Western Massachusetts are celebrating as two men, busted as part of a drug ring in 2021, pled guilty on Thursday, June 8. That makes 20 felony convictions since investigators began dismantling the operation in 2021, officials said.
Jason Nadeau, 42, of Ludlow, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of trafficking cocaine and one of conspiracy, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said.
David Gallegos, 30, of Deerfield, will serve a year of probation after a judge continued without a finding a charge of conspiracy, the prosecutor said. …
44 Pounds Of Cocaine: 2 Indicted In Largest Drug Bust In Littleton History
A Mexican national and a man from Texas were arrested following a routine traffic stop in Littleton with more than 40 pounds of cocaine inside their car, federal authorities said.
Cornelio Hernandez, 51, of Fort Worth, Texas, and Erasmo Lira-Mendez, 38, of Mexico, were indicted in a Worcester court Monday, May 22, on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, the US Attorney for Massachusetts announced. The two were arrested on March 29.
A Littleton …
Stolen Gun, Drugs: Routine Traffic Stop Leads To Multiple Arrests In Western Mass
Police in Springfield who were just following up on an unregistered vehicle got a lot more than they expected, bringing home two arrests, a loaded pistol, and trafficking weight of cocaine, authorities said.
The officers were near the Maple and Temple streets intersection on Friday, May 12, when they noticed the car and went to investigate. The driver didn't have a license, which meant the car would need to be towed, police said.
After the passenger stepped out, police began a cursory search of the vehicle. Inside a black plastic bag on the passenger side of the car, officers fo…
'Prominent Bulge' In Central MA Woman's Pants Was Hidden Drug Pouch: Police
A woman from Central Massachusetts thought she could cleverly hide a bag of drugs in her pants when officers pulled her and another man over for driving with an expired inspection sticker last month. That woman, according to police, thought wrong.
Joan Ruiz, of Worcester, left Mario's Showplace in Webster with Carlos Marcano-Garcia, also of Worcester, around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26, Webster Police said on Facebook.
One officer followed the vehicle, driven by Marcano-Garcia, as it turned onto Thompson Road. It was during that time that the officer noticed the car had an expired insp…
Drugs, Cash, Cars, Pablo Escobar Art: Massive Raid Seizes $1M, Busts 13 Across State: DA
Police carried out 19 raids across the state Thursday morning, April 13, and hauled in an amount of drugs and cash that would have made Pablo Escobar proud, authorities said. That's probably why officers found a painting of the former drug kingpin in one of the searches, authorities said.
Though, like their hero Escobar, 13 people involved in the drug trade found themselves in jail, authorities said.
During the searches, investigators found —
40 pounds of amphetamine
15 pounds of methamphetamine
6 kilograms of fentanyl
2 kilograms of cocaine,
15,000 pre…
