Articles Posted in Drug Crimes

This past weekend police in Amesbury, Massachusetts executed a search warrant at a home in a quiet residential neighborhood. At home during the raid, and charged with various drug crimes were Christopher Doty and Kristen Cataldo, both in their mid twenties. The search warrant was issued after police had obtained information regarding drug activity in the home. The information apparently came from informants and possibly a sustained surveillance or controlled drug buys. The defendants have been charged with an assortment of crimes including possession with the intent to distribute class A and class B drugs, assault and battery on a police officer, child endangerment and possession of a dangerous weapon.

Amesbury Cocaine, Heroin Felony Defense

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Heroin is considered a class “A” substance in Massachusetts because it is a highly addictive controlled substance. It is commonly referred to as dope,  and sometimes by its color, such as brown, or black tar heroin. Once heroin enters the body, it converts into morphine, which causes the user to experience a sense of relaxation and euphoria, also known as a high. Overdosing on heroin is fairly common as users develop a severe addiction to the controlled substance.  Several Massachusetts heroin drug charges are prosecuted daily in most Massachusetts courts.

Massachusetts Heroin Drug Charges

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A local drug task force involving federal authorities, local cops and the state police resulted in significant charges for four Boston natives. Local reports state that two days ago, detectives armed with a search warrant entered a warehouse in an industrial park in Avon, Massachusetts. Pallets inside of the warehouse containing corn also contained over 1,000 pounds of marijuana. In addition to finding drugs the police also found two loaded firearms. Four people were arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana and possession of a handgun. The defendants have been identified as Sheena Hamilton, Jett Ezidi, Donnelly Ray and Stephan Durrant. Bails ranged from seven thousand five hundred dollars to twenty five thousand dollars.

Marijuana Trafficking Defense in Massaschusetts

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Andover Drug Trafficking Investigation

According to an article in the Boston Globe police in Andover, Massachusetts made three arrests following an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the suburban Boston town. Joselin Eliezar Reina-Mercedes, Luz Made and Luis Hiciano were present at Hiciano’s apartment when an early morning search warrant was executed. Pursuant to the search officers found over 100 grams of heroin. Hiciano was charged with gun possession as well. If convicted the defendants face a minimum mandatory ten year state prison sentence. This Andover drug trafficking investigation is one of several in this town this year. Continue Reading

Not unlike most Sundays I woke up yesterday to several find messages on my cell phone from perspective clients who are in need of criminal legal representation in court today. Someone needed a lawyer for a domestic assault and battery case out of Lowell. Another person wanted to hire me for a cocaine possession charge out of Plymouth. Someone else needs help for an OUI arrest from Saturday night in Woburn. This is all typical for a Sunday morning. There was however something unusual my answering service sent me. A client who was served with a restraining order ten days ago has a hearing in Lynn District Court tomorrow. This prompted me to blog about why waiting until the last minute to hire a criminal lawyer is not a good idea.

Hire a Lawyer Now

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Cocaine labs are rare in Massachusetts. By the time the drug makes it into the Commonwealth it has already been processed and often diluted with cutting agents. Large scale cocaine production efforts are typically performed in the countries where the drug originates, usually Colombia and Bolivia. Thus, we almost never see cocaine manufacturing charges here. Rather, possession, possession with intent, distribution and trafficking are the cocaine related crimes most frequently prosecuted. So it was quite surprising to pick up a newspaper and see that local police find a cocaine lab and arrest a 51 year old man. Continue Reading

Massachusetts Drug Trafficking Defense Attorney

Prosecutors in Massachusetts can understand that sometimes the lines between simple possession of drugs and possession with the intent to distribute drugs are blurred. Oftentimes those cases, if initially charged as “intent to distribute” cases will be reduced to simple possession. This usually occurs when the defense attorney convinces the district attorney that the defendant had a drug habit that consistent with the quantity of drugs found. Similarly, some drug trafficking cases are at times reduced to possession with intent cases when the quantity barely makes the trafficking threshold. Rarely however are trafficking cases broken down to possession cases. However, this is not necessarily always consistent with the interests. There are times when a drug trafficking charge should be reduced to a drug possession charge. Continue Reading

Reading today’s Brockton Enterprise an article about certain Massachusetts drug crimes caught my eye. Three people, Jose, Evangelina and Kyle Rocha of Taunton were arrested after police charged them with secreting drugs in a condom and placing it in a housing complex where a prisoner on work detail was supposed to be cleaning. Police saw the suspects enter the housing development, enter a building and exit shortly thereafter. The officers searched a bathroom in that building and found the drugs. All three defendants have been charged with possession of drugs, drug conspiracy and conspiracy to deliver drugs to a prisoner. This article examines what happens if you smuggle drugs into a Massachusetts prison.

Smuggling Drugs in Condoms Attorney

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Recently, police officers in Massachusetts have been building drug investigations based on leads from “concerned citizens”. These leads come in the form of formal complaints or tips. Some are anonymous. Sometimes the individual making the complaint is identified. Today, a local newspaper reported on one of these investigations taking place in Danvers shopping centers and malls. Apparently local citizens, possibly merchants had grown concerned about what they believed to be drug transactions in their parking lots. A local drug task force followed up on the leads. As a result, two Boston men were arrested for selling cocaine and charged with trafficking in the Salem District Court. Continue Reading

Drug Distribution Defense in Massachusetts

Controlled substances are drugs or prescription medications that can be so dangerous when consumed that their distributions is regulated. Controlled substances can include prescription medications such as oxycontin, as well as illegal drugs, including marijuana, heroin, cocaine  and other narcotic agents. In Massachusetts, no one is permitted to be in possession of a controlled substance, unless he or she obtains the substance from a professional with the authority to administer, or prescribe, such a substance. The only exception to this is that it is not a criminal violation to be in possession of an ounce or less of marijuana.

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