A police officer on scene of a sweep in Swampscott
Federal authorities in Massachusetts have announced charges against nearly two dozen people stemming from a drug raid Tuesday morning on the North Shore.
The office of U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said Wednesday that 23 people had been charged with "conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances," a charge that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Rollins' office said the investigation, carried out by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Massachusetts State Police, seized tens of thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills that contained methamphetamine, as well as over 1,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl.
"Since taking office 10 months ago, we have worked tirelessly in collaboration with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to combat the deadly drug and opioid crisis poisoning our Commonwealth," Rollins said in a statement. "Last year we lost over 2,000 lives. Loved ones taken, stolen from us. And to be clear – counterfeit prescription pills being sold on the street are part of the problem. Swallowing a deadly drug can have the same fatal outcome as injecting one. These charges are an important step in slowing and ending the near constant stream of illegal drugs flowing into our communities."
"The practice of disguising fentanyl and other dangerous drugs as prescription medication is especially nefarious for the dangers it poses to unsuspecting users and the new addictions it fuels," Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason said in a statement. "I commend the DEA, our Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Trafficking Reduction and Enforcement task force, and the multiple partner agencies for their superb work interdicting this drug organization. The neighborhoods of the North Shore are safer today for their efforts."
The following 23 people are facing charges in the investigation:
- Lawrence Michael Nagle, 32, of Saugus
- Christopher Nagle, 28, of Revere
- Nelson Mora, 29, of Lynn
- Javier Bello, 27, of Beverly
- Anthony Bryson, 33, of Billerica
- Frantz Adolphe, 28, of Lynn
- Raymond Kulakowski, 36, of Lynn
- Soyanna Lages, 33, of Somerville
- David Muise, 35, of Swampscott
- David Delauri, 30, of Haverhill
- Savannah Lee Bartone, 35, of Peabody
- Lawrence M. Nagle Sr., AKA "Michael L. Nagle" and "Tony Dias," 54, of Lynn
- Alexander Villar, 33 of Danvers
- Kion Shepherd, 31, of Salem
- Melvin Nieves, 23, of Lynn
- Erick Solis Lopez, 24, of Salem
- Christopher Tejeda, 21, of Lynn
- Edward Ortiz, 32, of Swampscott
- Justin Westmoreland, 24, of Saugus
- Yaira Ramos-Rivera, 39, of Billerica
- Jose Garcia, 45, of Boston's Roslindale neighborhood
- Anna Bryson, 59, of Saugus
- Chevon Dorce, 43, of Lynn
An NBC10 Boston crew on Crescent Street in Swampscott captured a significant police presence, where officers were seen taking someone into custody, and carrying boxes that appeared to be labeled as "evidence."
