Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

A Boston man wanted on Massachusetts cocaine trafficking charges, is facing a variety of charges after being arrested in Attleboro, the Sun-Chronicle reported.

Santiago H. Gonzalez, 40, of Dorchester section of Boston, was arrested after a neighbor reported a suspicious man sitting in a car with the motor running. An Attleboro criminal defense attorney experienced in handling drug charges may challenge the probable cause for search and arrest in this case. Gonzalez was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty in Attleboro District Court to charges of possession of cocaine, disturbing the peace and providing a false name to police.

Gonzalez told police he waiting to pick up a friend of his girlfriend's, whom he thought lived at the address. Police say he gave them a driver's license with a different name. A woman at the residence told police he was there to look at her apartment because he was considering subletting it.

During a search, police seized $644 and a small amount of cocaine wrapped in a $1 bill.

An FBI fingerprint search at the police station identified Gonzalez and listed several warrants for his arrest, including a warrant for trafficking in more than 28 grams of cocaine.

Bail was set at $25,000 but reduced to $10,000, which he posted. He is due back in court on May 5.

Continue reading "Boston man arrested on warrants for cocaine trafficking after neighbor reports suspicious vehicle" »

Two men were arrested Friday on drug trafficking charges in Attleboro after a five-month investigation, which seized $12,000 in cash and nearly a kilo of cocaine valued at $25,000, the Sun Chronicle reported.

An Attleboro criminal defense attorney experienced in handling Massachusetts drug charges should be called to represent anyone facing charges of drug trafficking in Massachusetts. Often, the amount of drugs confiscated will prompt law enforcement to allege drug trafficking without sufficient evidence. Additionally, search warrants and other tactics used by undercover law enforcement can be challenged in court by an aggressive and experienced Massachusetts criminal defense attorney.

In this case, a 34-year-old Bellingham defendant and a 24-year-old Attleboro defendant pleaded not guilty in Attleboro District Court.

Each man is charged with trafficking in more than 100 grams of cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug laws and violating drug laws in a school zone. The charges are the result of an ongoing investigation by Attleboro, Franklin, Medway and Bellingham police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The judge rejected a prosecutor's request for $5 million cash bail for each suspect and set bail in the amounts of $25,000 and $15,000.

If convicted, each defendant faces at least 5 years in prison. Police said additional charges may be filed in Worcester County because of the amount of cocaine seized in the apartment of one of the defendants.

After several months of investigation, police stopped one of the defendants on North Main Street near Dewey Avenue in Attleboro around 11:45 p.m. Thursday. Police reported finding a bag containing 125 grams, or an eighth of kilogram of cocaine, inside a baseball cap under the passenger's seat of the vehicle.

Upon obtaining a search warrant for the apartment, police reported seizing an additional 150 grams of cocaine as well as an additional 616 grams kept in a locked safe. Police also reported finding $2,100 on one of the defendants and $10,486 in a hidden compartment under the master bedroom whirlpool tub.

A defense attorney for one man disputed most of the evidence and said he did not believe there was a strong case against his client. The attorney for the other defendant, who is a former airport security officer, said his client was innocent and the money found was not connected to illegal drug activity.

Continue reading "Two men face Massachusetts drug distribution charges in Attleboro District Court" »

A 35-year-old Dorchester man is facing Massachusetts drug charges and serious driving violations in Framingham District Court after being arrested by Framingham police on Sunday night.

This case involves a Massachusetts search warrant and charges the defendant as a repeat drug offender. A Massachusetts defense lawyer experienced in search and seizure laws and drug violations should be called to represent the defendant in Framingham District Court.

The Metro Daily News reported the defendant managed to evade several pursuing police cars in Natick but was later captured by Framingham police after his car ran out of gas.

He was arrested about 8:45 p.m. on Pamela Road in Framingham, more than two hours after Natick police first attempted to pull him over on Route 9, according to authorities. Police reported they had a search warrant for the defendant's Chrysler as part of a drug investigation.

An officer spotted his car and attempted to make a traffic stop, but police report that the defendant drove through seven red lights and around several police cars -- at one point, traveling the wrong way on Route 9 near Natick Collection. Police lost the car on Concord Street in Framingham after a four-mile chase.

Framingham police reported finding the car and the defendant in the Temple Beth Shalom parking lot on Pamela Road, where it had run out of gas.

The defendant was charged with distributing cocaine, a subsequent offense, driving with a license that was revoked for being a habitual offender, failing to stop for police and driving to endanger.

The case is under investigation and it is not known whether drugs were found in the car. The defendant was released after posting $1,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Framingham District Court.

Continue reading "Dorchester man faces Massachusetts drug charges in Framingham District Court" »

A man is facing a slew of criminal charges in Taunton, including assault and Massachusetts drug charges, after police say he led them on a car chase Sunday afternoon, the Taunton Daily Gazette reported.

A Taunton, Massachusetts defense lawyer should be contacted to represent anyone facing serious driving charges or other criminal violations in Taunton District Court. In this case, law enforcement piled on about a dozen serious criminal charges in response to the defendant's reported attempts to flee.

Police accuse the man of stealing a license plate for his girlfriend's car so we could drive the vehicle after its registration had been revoked.

The 36-year-old defendant was spotted about 3:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon, sparking a chase through Hart's Four Corners after police attempted to stop the Honda Civic with stolen plates.

Police report the driver drove over yellow lines passing cars, ran a red light and almost crashed after hitting railroad tracks at high speed. He later fled on foot and attempted to scale a fence.

During a search of the defendant and the vehicle, police reported finding marijuana, prescription medication, heroin and drug paraphernalia.

The defendant was charged with failing to stop for police, driving a vehicle with stolen plates, driving to endanger, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a car), possession of a class D drug with intent to distribute, possession of a class A drug, resisting arrest, operating after having his license revoked, driving an uninsured vehicle and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The Daily Gazette reported the man also had outstanding warrants, charging him with receiving stolen property, larceny of more than $250 and larceny of less than $250.

Continue reading "Massachusetts drug charges in Taunton District Court after alleged pursuit " »

A 24-year-old Raynham man is facing Massachusetts drug charges after a raid this week by the Drug Enforcement Administration and police. Authorities seized drugs and more than $100,000 in cash, according to the Brockton Enterprise.

Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer Michael DelSignore is an experienced Boston drug trafficking attorney who fights for the rights of clients facing Massachusetts drug charges in Taunton District Court as well as other serious traffic and criminal offenses.

In this case, the Sunflower Drive man was charged with possession and trafficking in oxycodone and possession and trafficking in marijuana. He was arraigned in Taunton District Court and released after posting $5,000 bail.

Authorities raided the man's home, where they found 156 pills believed to be Percocets and 42 large, heat-sealed plastic bags and two more open bags, all of them containing what is believed the be marijuana, according to The Enterprise.

Police also searched the defendant's mother's house, where they believed he was keeping money, and found three safes, one of which contained 24 bundles of money amounting to more than $100,000.

Continue reading "Massachusetts Drug trafficking charges in Taunton District court follow evidence found in drug raid" »

Many Massachusetts drug offenses arise from a car stop where police officers allege some traffic violation, that the driver was unlicensed or the car unregistered as a justification to stop the car. Two issues frequently arise in car search cases. In Massachusetts a police officer is not permitted to order a motorist from their car for a traffic violation unless the officer has a reasonable fear for the officer's own safety. The Massachusetts Supreme Court has declined to follow case law from the United States Supreme Court that allows for an automatic exit order when a police officer has reasonable suspicion to stop a motor vehicle.

A second issue that arises is when police do make an arrest and search the vehicle, was the search legally justified under the Fourth Amendment and Article 14 of the Massachusetts Constitution.

In Arizona v. Gant, the United States Supreme Court placed a major limitation on the ability of police to search a car following a traffic stop. Massachusetts search and seizure law under Gant requires that a police officer can only search the passenger's compartment of a car incident to an arrest if it is reasonable to believe that the motorist may gain access to the car or that the vehicle may contain evidence of the offense. Accordingly, following Gant, a police officer cannot search a vehicle following a stop or even arrest for a motor vehicle offense to search for drugs or other illegal narcotics.

Continue reading "Car searchs in Massachusetts drug arrests " »