More than a kilo of heroin and nearly $150,000 in cash was seized by police in Massachusetts after they made several busts, resulting in the arrests of six people.
Thirty-nine-year-old Joel Melendez, 28-year-old Josimar Delacruz, 25-year-old Darwin De Jesus Perez, 20-year-old Quinten Bottom, 24-year-old Rickey Rivera and 22-year-old Eridy Baez all face a variety of drug trafficking charges after being arrested Tuesday.
Worcester police say vice squad members were conducting surveillance on an apartment on Blackstone River Road, when they saw two men, later identified as Melendez and Delacruz, leave the house and get in a car and drive to a Walmart parking lot, where police saw a drug transaction being made with men who arrived in a silver vehicle.
The two men in the silver car, Bottom and Rivera, both Worcester residents, were stopped by police, and 11 small bags of heroin was found, police say. Bottom was charged with knowing where heroin is kept and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws, while Rivera was charged with possession and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws
Meanwhile, Melendez and Delacruz were also stopped by police. Police say they found $3,800 in cash on the men and keys to the Blackstone River Road apartment under surveillance, and a K9 found 1/2 gram of heroin hidden behind the car's dashboard.
Police say when they entered the Blackstone River Road apartment, they found De Jesus Perez packaging heroin; Baez was also in the apartment.
As a result of the search warrant, police say they found about 1,500 grams of heroin, 7 grams of cocaine, about $147,000 in cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia. The recovered heroin could be worth $150,000 on the streets, according to Worcester police.
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Police say Melendez, of Worcester, De Jesus Perez, of Worcester, and Delacruz, of Providence, Rhode Island, were charged with possession with intent to distribute, trafficking heroin and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws.
Baez faces heroin trafficking and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws charges.
There's no word on when their arraignments are or if they have lawyers.
