Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 Source: Upper Cape Codder (MA) Copyright: 2007 Upper Cape Codder Contact: http://www.townonline.com/bourne/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4197 Author: Paul Gately DRUG BUST IN BOURNE LINKED TO STRING OF CRIMES Just days after a crack house was raided in the shadows of Bourne police headquarters in Buzzards Bay, detectives descended on a unit at the Canalside Apartments at North Sagamore where they say a 17-year-old boy was dealing exclusive and expensive "Hydro" marijuana. Bourne Police detective John Doble said the arrest of Michael A. Fritz at 18 Scotch Pine Road Wednesday night culminated six months of surveillance following complaints by the Canalside management and its tenants. Doble said officers watched vehicles routinely arriving at the apartment unit and making brief stops from early afternoon until late evening. "Some of his customers, based on our observations, were people known to us for past drug violations," Doble said. "Local people. All ages. In and out." Doble said detectives secured a search warrant and moved in, seizing the exclusive variety of indoor-grown marijuana with a street value of $5,000, a digital scale and various paraphernalia related to drug dealing. An expensive Century safe was also seized. Fritz faces charges of marijuana possession and intent to distribute. He was released on $1,000 bail and returns to court Feb. 23 for a pre-trial hearing. Bourne police, meanwhile, are intent on probing where the money from what they say was a lucrative grass-dealing operation was kept or invested and where the supply came from. There is also the matter of dealing with Fritz's customers and potential linkage to breaks into homes and vehicles around town, something that has plagued police for months and shows no signs of abating. Detective Sgt. Richard Silvestro says many of those North Sagamore marijuana customers are now thought to be linked to that continuing rash of breaks, with merchandise and equipment being taken to finance drug habits. Doble and Silvestro said Fritz lives with his mother and that visitors to their apartment are not noted for holding legitimate jobs. Doble said the variety of marijuana that Fritz allegedly sold was as highly addictive as it is exclusive and costly. Doble said the "Hydro" variety of grass often sells for $300 to $400 an ounce. "We feel that's part of the contribution to all our breaks around town," Silvestro said. "Nickel-and-dime breaks into cars; stuff grabbed, even breaks into residences. We've had reports from families about money being taken and suddenly family jewelry being missing; and then we find out about breaks in the neighborhood. "There's a driving need for money to buy the kind of grass we found in Canalside," he said. "It's expensive, and the people involved based on our observations are younger and younger. The age range is from 14 to the mid-20s and older." Doble said Fritz is "a street-smart kid," The detective said if Fritz is knocked out of the local drug-dealing scene, "somebody else will step in and take his place." Doble encourages residents to report suspicions by calling 508-759-0608, ext. 2. He said tips do not have to be drug related. Messages are kept confidential, he said. Assisting in the North Sagamore operation were the Plymouth and Barnstable County Sheriff's Offices, Sandwich and State Police and the Cape Cod Narcotics Task Force. As for the crack house at Main Street, Silvestro said it was broken up. "There are others around town; this isn't the only one," he said. "We're looking at others. This stuff they're involved with is addictive. It's here. We have crews dealing in town from all over: Holyoke, Middleboro, Boston, Dorchester. We can't ID all of them; plus we have people who grew up here and are involved in this stuff." Silvestro and Doble said that in recent weeks during routine traffic stops of suspected drug dealers, they found individuals carrying $3,000, $6,000 and $10,000 in cash; often with $20 bills neatly strapped together. "In every case when asked about the money, they said they were going to buy a car," Doble said. Detective David Lonergan, the Bourne police prosecutor said that on any given Monday morning at Falmouth District Court, drug-related cases total about 60 percent of the court's load. Toward the end of the week, he said, the percentage goes up to 80 involving cases with underlying narcotics implications. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek