Heroin, false identifications seized in raid
March 4, 2011

By Jim Patten


LAWRENCE — Four men were arrested when police, federal agents and Essex County deputy sheriffs raided an apartment at 53 Congress St., Wednesday morning.

Two of the men were found to be in the country illegally, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers were lodged against them following their arrests.

Police said officers went to the apartment to arrest Julio Cesar Falcon Melo, 37, for multiple state drug offenses and for being a two-time re-entry into the United States, meaning he had been deported twice previously. Melo was also charged with knowingly being present where heroin is kept and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Santiago Guerrero Nova, 27, was arrested and charged with possession of heroin, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and knowingly being present where heroin is kept.

Police said a detainer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was also lodged against Nova.

Felix Ortiz, 30, and Omar Saldana, 20, were arrested and both were charged with possession of heroin, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and knowingly being present where heroin is kept.

Police seized 14 grams of heroin found in the kitchen, along with a digital scale and blender that police believe were used as tools for the packaging of heroin for sale on the street.

Police also recovered documents from the apartment that indicate one or more of the men were attempting to pass themselves off as being of Puerto Rican descent.

In one room, police seized a black notebook containing a Puerto Rican birth certificate in the name of Leslie Melendez Rojas, a matching Puerto Rican Social Security card, and a Certificate of Residency in the name of Irasema Medina Romero.

When the officers inspected the notebook further, they found pages of names, dates of birth and Puerto Rican Social Security numbers, police said.

In Nova's room, police found a Puerto Rican birth certificate, matching Social Security card and certified driver's record in the name of Raul Manuel Rivera Arroyo, and a Social Security card in the name of Esteban Jesus Lopez Perez.

Police said Nova had been using the name Arroyo, but during booking admitted his real name and that he was from Bani in the Dominican Republic.

The documents were photocopied and then turned over to a special agent from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.

www.eagletribune.com