Pubdate: Sat, 21 Sep 2002 Source: Metrowest Daily News (MA) Copyright: 2002, MetroWest Daily News and Herald Interactive Advertising Contact: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/619 Author: Jennifer Rosinski POLICE TURN UP HEAT ON DEALERS ASHLAND - Thursday night's arrest of two men accused of carrying $3,600 worth of Ecstasy tablets illustrates a long-standing problem in Ashland, a town many dealers pass through to get to their nearby buyers, according to police. But the addition of two detectives in the past two years is helping police combat the problem, Chief Roy Melnick said yesterday. The department's third detective - who spends most of his time investigating drug crimes - started in July. "You can't stop everything overnight, but we've done a good job," he said. "We've made Ashland a safer place. I think we've reduced the number of drugs on the street." They've done that by increasing the number of arrests made in town. From 1994 to 1999, the average number of drug arrests per year was 14. The drug arrest total from July to December 2000 jumped to 42. It was 80 a year later. Melnick expects drug arrest totals to top 100 by the end of 2002. Police have already made more than 50, he said. Those numbers have scared off some dealers, who now think twice before traveling on routes 126 and 135, Melnick said. "A lot of (dealers) won't make deals with my undercover officers anymore. They say, 'Oh no, we can't deal in Ashland,' " he said. "That makes me happy. I don't want them here." When that happens, the dealer picks another town to meet in. Ashland police will contact that town and set up a sting, which usually leads to an arrest. "We're not looking for the glory, we're looking to reduce crime," Melnick said. The latest arrest was made Thursday night on Union Street by a detective working undercover. Two men from Framingham and Hopkinton were caught with 185 tabs, or 76 grams, of Ecstasy, police said. Mark Bernatcchez, 25, of 80 Hayden Rowe in Hopkinton was behind the wheel of a pickup truck traveling east on Union Street at 10:40 p.m. The detective watched as it jumped the sidewalk, almost hit a telephone pole and swerved into the westbound lane, police said. Police found plastic bags filled with blue Ecstasy pills in Bernatcchez's front pants pocket and on the floor of the truck's front passenger side. Bernatcchez and his 39-year-old passenger, Ronald Margeson of 314 Union Ave., Framingham, were arrested. They were both charged with possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute, possession of Ecstasy, conspiracy to violate drug laws and possession of drugs in a school zone, police said. Police also charged Bernatcchez with trafficking methamphetamines, operating under the influence of alcohol and a marked lanes violation. Bernatcchez told police he buys 100 Ecstasy tablets each week to sell to friends for $20 apiece, according to court records. He paid $1,300 for the 185 tablets. Both men were arraigned yesterday in Framingham District Court and innocent pleas were entered on their behalf. Bernatcchez is being held at Middlesex jail in Cambridge on $1,000 cash bail. Margeson was released on $2,500 cash bail. He has prior defaults and convictions, and is on probation on other charges. Both men are scheduled to appear in court Oct. 25 for a pre-trial hearing. Melnick said Ashland is a convenient meeting place and the town many must pass through to get to their destination. "We have our own home-grown dealers, but most of our arrests are out- of-towners," he said. "We're a throughway between a couple of other drug areas. I call it the 'triangle.' " Because of the town's popularity, Melnick has asked his detectives to start patrolling the streets at night looking for drug dealers. Some of the detectives, Don Colbert, David Beaudoin, and the newest investigator, Matthew Guttwill, work undercover. Melnick had to rearrange his department when Guttwill, a former patrolman, became a detective in July. A training officer was moved to a patrolman's position and a sergeant had to take over training duties, leaving the department understaffed. "I don't have as many bodies to go around," Melnick said. The chief hopes to change that with a matching grant from the Department of Justice. Ashland has received preliminary approval and is now waiting to hear whether the federal government has enough funding for the $225,000 grant. The money would provide the department with three police officers, at roughly $40,000 salary apiece, for three years. The town would pay for 25 percent of the cost, or about $75,000. Cocaine may be one of the most popular drugs in the area, but Ecstasy is on the rise, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. That fact scares Melnick and his detectives. "The kids that are taking it don't know it causes permanent brain damage with each use," he said. Studies have shown that Ecstasy damages neurons that release serotonin in the brain, which can cause permanent damage, memory loss and depression. Ecstasy is the street name for methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and is also known as XTC, X and Adam. It is usually ingested in its tablet form, but can be crushed and snorted. The drug, which sells for $20-$40 a tablet, is often sold at bars, rave parties or underground clubs. The drug makes users feel relaxed and emotionally close to others, and could lead to enhanced sexual performance. When used at all-night dancing parties, or raves, the drug can cause dehydration or heat stroke. It also causes chills, hallucinations and paranoia. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens