Overdoses and Drug Trafficking On the Rise in Massachusetts

Monday, December 22, 2014

Patrick Sargent, GoLocal Worcester Contributor

Last week, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Timothy Alben released a statement that said that officers have responded to 58 suspected heroin deaths in the state since December 1, not including Worcester, Springfield or Boston.

"Our investigators, working in conjunction with local police, draw these preliminary conclusions based upon evidence located at death scenes and interviews with witnesses, family or friends," said Alben. "The department is currently cataloging and comparing evidence to determine whether any common patterns or similarities exist in terms of the composition, brands, or sources of the narcotics. That effort is ongoing and we have reached no conclusions as of yet."

The city of Worcester is having its own issue with heroin related overdoses and deaths. Just this month, Worcester has reported nearly 60 drug overdoses in the city. Three reported overdose deaths occurred in Worcester County this month.

According to Alben, "Based on many years of investigative work, we know that narcotics purchased on the street can have widely varying concentrations and may contain toxic chemical additives or impurities. While the causes of these deaths are suspected overdoses, the official cause of death will not be confirmed until the Medical Examiner performs toxicology testing, which generally takes several weeks."

Two Towns West of Worcester Have Big Drug Busts

Just days after the released statement by the State Police, the towns of Sturbridge and Westfield were the sites of two drug trafficking busts by the Massachusetts State Police. 2,000 grams of cocaine were collected and a large quantity of heroin between the two incidents. Three suspects were put under arrest.

According to the State Police, on Wednesday evening, Trooper Andrew Cornell from the Charlton State Police Barracks stopped a car in Westfield that was heading westbound on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The driver was identified as Ammar K. Brown of Schenectady, New York. Brown was in possession of 2,000 grams of cocaine and was placed under arrest. Brown was originally pulled over for speeding, but then Trooper Cornell, assisted by Sergeant Todd Renaud, found the cocaine and put Brown under arrest. Brown was charged with trafficking cocaine and speeding. He was held on $50,000 bail.

On Saturday night, two men from Maine were stopped in Sturbridge and arrested and charged for trafficking heroin. State Police Trooper Sergio Figueirido stopped the 1999 Buick Century on Route 84 in Sturbridge because the driver failed to stay within marked lanes, was speeding, and failed to use his signal. The driver, 27-year-old Brandon Hanson, was additionally charged with possession of a class B substance. The passenger in the car, 30-year-old Joshua Trowbridge, had an outstanding warrant for Larceny. Bail was set for $5,040 each and they will have their hearing this morning in Dudley District Court.

A Busy Week of Heroin Busts for State Police

On Tuesday, Massachusetts State Police made three more heroin-related arrests in the towns of Greenfield and Taunton. Nearly 100 bags of heroine were confiscated between the three arrests.

In Greenfield, State Trooper Scott Boutell stopped Frankie Carrion of New Bedford and Jesse Odle of Deerfield. Initially, the driver began to drive off, but ultimately pulled over again. The two men were in possession of 80 bags of heroin. Also, Carrion did not have permission to have possession of the vehicle he was driving and Odle had an active arrest warrant. Both men were arrested.

In Taunton, 25-year-old Zachary Plaud of Rochester was stopped on Route 140 for a motor vehicle violation. Plaud was found to be in possession of several bags of heroin. He was charged with possession of a class A substance.