Most of the defendants were arrested in a coordinated law enforcement sweep in November 2019 and originally charged in a series of federal criminal complaints, which were followed up by initial indictments in December 2019. Springfield crime: 4 residents face meth charges after hotel drug bust Published: Nov. 30, 2022 at 5:22 AM PST. The narcotics and other items seized during a major multi-department drug bust in Western Massachusetts from the beginning of 2023. Officers also seized cash in the raid. They also create an opportunity to help those suffering from addiction get back on the right path through our social service systems.. State police said field tests of most samples of the drugs that had been categorized as heroin showed the majority to actually be fentanyl, which police said is synthetic, more powerful and is the more prevalent opiate in street-level sales in Massachusetts. Deputies identify 1 of 4 arrested in major drug, gun bust at 2 The federal indictment charges each of the 15 defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin and/or 400 grams or more of fentanyl in Christian and Greene counties from Sept. 23, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Susan McClanahan, 39, and Karen Stephens, 39, were also in the room, in addition to Caldwell. He was also charged for possession of a firearm without a license, per the DAs office. The raid stemmed from a two month investigation of an alleged "stash house" for a Holyoke-based drug ring at 1251 Bay Street in Springfield, police said. Heriberto Escalera, also 34 and from Springfield, was charged with his 2nd offense of trafficking heroin or fentanyl and first offense trafficking 100 to 200 grams of cocaine. Springfield Police Lt. Lawrence Murphy credited Det. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno praised the Springfield Police Department for taking "poison" off of the city's streets and urged judges to impose lengthy sentences for the suspects' alleged crimes. These situations are often larger than the local police can effectively address, Mobus told VTDigger. Glosson is also charged with one count of possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of being an unlawful user of controlled substances (heroin) in possession of firearms. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Two men now face potentially decades in prison after a bust that began over an expired license plate. He can be reached at jcraven@vtdigger.org. Crime Springfield police find 30 pounds of cocaine, nearly 14,000 fentanyl pills in gang drug bust One person was arrested. Our education reporter is Tiffany Pache. Erin Mansfield is VTDiggers health care reporter. Bets are in. 0:03. Residents in Springfield, Vermont, saw an increased police presence on Wednesday morning. Sunbeam Television Corp One of the neighbors didn't think it was so cool. In addition to the conspiracy, Crawford is charged with three counts of possessing heroin or fentanyl with the intent to distribute, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. "Being the road manager, they handed it all to me," Chris Sarns said. Court documents specify that Castro was arrested in the Springfield Hospital parking lot on Wednesday. 30 pounds of cocaine, nearly 14,000 fentanyl pills seized in By Dec. 21, investigators had honed in on Williams residence and vehicle, receiving court authorization to search both. Leath is also charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Stewart is also charged with one count of distributing heroin and/or fentanyl. SPRINGFIELD The Springfield District Court will expand its " drug court " services over the next five years with the help of a $2 million federal grant. Alan J. Keays is the former longtime news editor of the Rutland Herald. He was held at Northeast Correctional Complex from October 2017 to May 2018. As a result of the outcome of the investigation, law enforcement officials executed search warrants for several locations and vehicles throughout Hampden County and arrested the following individuals: In a statement, Massachusetts State Police Interim Colonel John Mawn Jr. said, Dismantling these organizations that import death onto our streets is a priority of the Massachusetts State Police and our partner agencies.. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( Protas is charged with knowingly possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance after law enforcement found her with a 6.3 mm semiautomatic pistol, according to the affidavit. The next day, police pulled Williams over for a traffic stop. Hill is also charged with attempting to escape from the custody of a DEA agent after being arrested. Two additional defendants were charged in one of the two separate, but related, superseding indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Feb. 18, for a total of 21 defendants in those two cases. Rench and Stephens were each charged with possession of methamphetamine. Major Springfield Drug Bust Part of Year-Long Investigation Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images. We cover state elections, the Vermont Legislature, the governors office, state agencies and major political parties. Police arrested more than two dozen people in a drug bust in Southern Vermont. The ring was supplying heroin and fentanyl in the Springfield area, state police said, and the department added that the majority of the heroin seized had field-tested positive for fentanyl. Courtesy of Hampden District Attorney's Office. "They were partying the Marshall amps were stacked," friend Linda Stevens told Jimmy McDonough in the Neil Young biography Shakey. Yet bad vibes surrounding this drug bust have been blamed in part for Buffalo Springfield's eventual breakup. Guns, Drugs, Cash: April Fools Bust Started As Routine Traffic Stop In (WHDH) - A 51-year-old Springfield man is facing multiple drug trafficking charges after authorities seized a cache of drugs worth over $2 million on the street, according to officials. His next court appearance was scheduled for Jan. 24. Martin Kielty Published: March 23, 2021. WHDH broadcast educational and informational programming for children, and file quarterly reports with the FCC detailing the station's outreach to children. The investigation has led to four arrests: Springfield residents Hector Rodriguez, 42, and Luis Acevedo, 43, and Holyoke residents Emmanuel Hernandez, 30, and Nellys Garcia, 32. Alexander Rodriguez, 33, of Holyoke, is charged with trafficking heroin 200 grams or more, trafficking fentanyl, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Troopers have administered Narcan eight times statewide already in 2023, and treated suspected overdoses with the drug 56 times in 2022. We continue our relentless focus on the areas most dangerous and lethal individuals, Gulluni said in the release. "Clapton and Stephen were playing so loud, the mountains were ringing. The room was rented by Nicholas Rench, 33. He can be reached at mpolhamus@vtdigger.org. - Joel Cruz, 27, of . State police said the Springfield area is a known supply source for mass narcotics trafficking in Western New England, with direct connections from area drug traffickers to Connecticut and New York City. "This significant seizure not only puts a stop to this distribution ring, but also shows that our Narcotics Unit continues to get deadly drugs off the street, while arresting the right people," Police Commissioner John Barbieri said in a statement. 8 people arrested, more than 100K bags of fentanyl seized in In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracies, Farisse is charged with three counts of distributing heroin and/or fentanyl, two counts of possessing heroin and/or fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 2023 Cox Media Group. Final Reading: When will the legislative session wrap up? Earlier: Springfield police arrest city man on gun, drug charges Wednesday.