EIGHT CHARGED AFTER JOINT INVESTIGATION RESULTS IN TAKEDOWN OF MAJOR LAWRENCE FENTANYL TRAFFICKING OPERATION
Investigation led by Attorney
General’s New England Fentanyl Strike Force; Law Enforcement Seized more
than Two Kilograms of Fentanyl
LAWRENCE – After a joint
federal, state, and local investigation led by Attorney General Maura Healey’s
New England Fentanyl Strike Force, eight individuals have been charged in
connection with running a major fentanyl trafficking operation in Lawrence.
Authorities seized more than two kilograms of fentanyl during the course of the
investigation.
These charges are the result of a
months-long investigation by AG Healey’s Enterprise & Major Crimes
Division, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction
Enforcement Team (CINRET) North and the AG’s Office,
U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the New Hampshire State Police Narcotics
Investigation Unit, the Lynn Police Department, and the AG’s Digital Evidence
Lab into a drug distribution enterprise
operating in and around the Lawrence area.
Last
week, authorities executed search warrants at six
locations in Lawrence, yielding approximately $150,000 in cash and 700 grams of
fentanyl and crack cocaine. During the course of the investigation,
authorities seized an additional 1,800 grams of fentanyl and 500 pressed
fentanyl pills.
The following individuals have been charged in connection with the fentanyl
trafficking operation:
Ricardito
Aybar Franco, age 32, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A
Substance, 18-36 grams (13 counts)
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 36-100 grams (4 counts)
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 100-200 grams (3 counts)
Conspiracy to Violate the Controlled Substances Act (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 29 and bail was set at
$150,000. His next court date is Oct. 27.
Chrisleyri Guerrero Tejeda,
age 24, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 18-36 grams (1 count)
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 36-100 grams (2 counts)
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 100-200 grams (1 count)
Conspiracy to Violate the Controlled Substances Act (1 count)
She was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 29 and bail was set at
$25,000. Her next court date is Oct. 27.
Rafael Bernabel-Mejia, age 58,
of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 36-100 grams (1 count)
Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Substance (1 count)
Conspiracy to Violate the Controlled Substances Act (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 29 and bail was set at
$150,000. His next court date is Oct. 27.
Rafael Gonzalez-Polanco, age
26, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 200 grams or more (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 29 and bail was set at
$150,000. His next court date is Oct. 27.
Wilkin Sanchez Tejeda (aka
Marco Delacruz), age 41, of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 200 grams or more (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 30 and bail was set at
$200,000. His next court date is Oct. 27.
Alberto Aybar-Franco, age 28,
of Lawrence
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 100-200 grams (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Sept. 30 and bail was set at
$100,000. His next court date is Oct. 27.
Luciano Vasquez, age 28, of
Lowell
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 200 grams or more (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lowell District Court on Aug. 18 and bail was set at
$7,500. His next court date is Oct. 22.
Anthony Ramos Phillips, age
28, of Lowell
Trafficking a Class A Substance, 200 grams or more (1 count)
He was arraigned in Lowell District Court
on Aug. 18 and bail was set at $7,500. His next court date is Oct. 22.
All of these charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed
innocent until proven guilty.
AG Healey’s Office has prioritized
combatting the opioid crisis and has been working closely with federal, state
and local partners to fight illegal drug trafficking throughout New England.
The AG’s New England Fentanyl Strike Force was created in 2016 using a $1
million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing
Services Anti-Heroin Task Force and has since been strengthened with a nearly
$3 million grant in 2018 and a $2.6 million grant in 2019, which have expanded ongoing
multistate and cross-jurisdictional investigations.
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