Record New York drug bust has Central Mass. connections

Friday

Posted Sep 23, 2016 at 12:52 PMUpdated Sep 23, 2016 at 5:36 PM
By George Barnes
Telegram & Gazette Staff

An investigation of an alleged dealer working in the Fitchburg-Leominster area soon spread to Mexico, with ties to New York and Arizona.


The local investigation became part of one of the largest heroin busts in New York state history.


New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced Friday the indictments of 25 people in Operation Dirty Dope, a nationwide investigation that involved drug dealing in Massachusetts, including Fitchburg and Leominster.

The investigation, which began in April 2015, resulted in the seizure of 33 kilograms of heroin and 2 kilograms of fentanyl — valued at $13 million.


Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest Martineau and Leominster Police Chief Michael Goldman joined authorities in New York Friday to announce the arrests, which took place over the past few days.


Among those arrested was Luis Rivera, also known as Carlos Almonte. He was one of three Massachusetts residents arrested in the drug sweep, and he was the target of Fitchburg and Leominster police in April 2015.


Chief Martineau said initially Fitchburg police narcotics officers began investigating Mr. Rivera's activities in Fitchburg. They soon found his drug dealing extended to Leominster and Worcester.


"The investigation led us to a bigger picture, a New York connection," Chief Martineau said in an interview.


Soon, Fitchburg and Leominster officers found themselves working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency task forces in Worcester and New York and the New York attorney general's office. The investigation resulted in arrests of major dealers and a record amount of heroin.


It also revealed a sinister side of drug dealing: According to the New York attorney general's office, wiretaps revealed those arrested discussed mixing other chemicals, including chicken anesthetic, Novocain, nail polish remover, roach killer, fentanyl and others, with the heroin to add bulk and value.

The indictments, unsealed Friday, described a sophisticated drug distribution ring that allegedly moved drugs from Mexico into Arizona, then to Pennsylvania and New York, and eventually to Central Massachusetts.


"It equated to an octopus," Chief Martineau said. "It started in Mexico, and one tentacle reached the Fitchburg-Leominster area."


The Fitchburg chief said his department has officers who work closely with federal authorities, and this time it paid off.


"Just because we patrol Fitchburg and Mike (Chief Goldman) patrols Leominster, we'll collaborating with everybody," he said. "You can't do this alone."


Chief Martineau cautioned that although the drug bust is significant, there is much more work to do. He said it is not going to solve the drug epidemic, but a large amount of heroin was taken off the streets.


"We think this is going to make a significant impact on the Fitchburg-Leominster area," Chief Goldman said.

http://www.telegram.com/news/2016092...ss-connections

View image on Twitter