Pubdate: Sat, 07 Jul 2001
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA)
Copyright: 2001 Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Contact:  http://www.telegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/509
Author: Edward J. Canty and Jay Whearley

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS FOR DRUG BUST TEAM

WORCESTER-- Juan Colon opened the door for city police to a major heroin 
and cocaine bust early yesterday. Officers reciprocated by opening the door 
for him to a cell at Police Headquarters.

It was a trade that the officers will gladly make anytime. It's also one 
that has them shaking their heads with both laughter and disbelief.

The story begins at 8:20 Thursday night at a second-floor apartment at 19 
Hancock St. Sgt. Thomas J. Gaffney said Vice Squad officers had obtained a 
search warrant for the address following an investigation into a small drug 
dealing operation in the city.

The officers were assisted by Gang Unit, Canine Unit, SWAT team and 
Operations Division officers because some of the suspects were believed to 
carry weapons.

The sergeant said the bust proved to be fairly routine. Officers 
confiscated a small amount of cocaine and marijuana, as well as a shotgun, 
a 9 mm pistol, ammunition, drug packaging materials and $290 in cash.

The only catch, Sgt. Gaffney said, was that officers arrested only five 
suspects in the apartment. They were looking for six.

Believing the sixth suspect, identified as Benjamin Povez, might be hiding 
in the first-floor apartment at that address, officers knocked on the door. 
The sergeant said Mr. Colon opened the door and the officers asked if it 
would OK for them to search the apartment.

That's when the fun -- for the police -- started.

"We ask if we can come in and he says, 'It's all right with me, but let me 
check with my girlfriend,' " Sgt. Gaffney recalled. "Honest to God, he 
leaves the door wide open and goes to talk to the woman. And there, eight 
feet in front of us on a coffee table, is an electronic weighing scale that 
drug dealers like to use and what certainly looks like a lot of heroin."

It was.

The sergeant said officers immediately arrested Mr. Colon, 43, of that 
address, and Yanira Perez, 21, of Lawrence. Police then obtained a search 
warrant for the first-floor apartment and returned at 12:20 a.m. yesterday.

On the coffee table and elsewhere in the apartment they found more than 100 
ounces of nearly pure heroin and 28 grams of cocaine. Sgt. Gaffney said the 
drugs have a street value of more than $100,000. Officers also confiscated 
a loaded 9 mm handgun and $2,822 in cash.

"I tell you it was like a heroin lab inside there," he said. "There were 
scales, a logo stamp for the packages for the drugs. There must have been 
50,000 empty individual plastic packets that easily could have been filled 
with the drugs in that room."

The sergeant said Mr. Colon and Ms. Perez were charged with trafficking in 
cocaine and heroin, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Arrested in the earlier, second-floor raid were Nakia Lane, 26, of 42 
Whipple St.; Montague Edmonds, 27, of 14 Russell St.; Shannon Perras, 19, 
of 68 A Millbury Ave., Millbury; Maritza Colon, 19, of 14 Village Way, 
Webster; and Dale Atkins, 39, of 19 Hancock St. They were charged with 
carrying a firearm without a license, illegal possession of ammunition; and 
possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of marijuana.

Capping a successful day for the Vice Squad was the arrest of Mr. Povez at 
9:20 last night. He was spotted by a Vice Squad officer walking on Lincoln 
Street. Mr. Povez faces the same charges as the five other suspects in the 
second-floor raid.

"Sometimes we do get lucky," Sgt. Gaffney said with a laugh.
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