Manchester rounds up street level dealers

Manchester Police Special Enforcement Division, along with New Hampshire State Police Narcotics Investigation Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration-HIDTA Task Force conducted a street level sweep yesterday, which resulted in 14 arrests.  Some of the arrests were made for prior arrest warrants while others were made based on an ongoing investigation into drug related activities.

The aforementioned agencies will be conducting more operations in the near future, so we can continue to fight the drug epidemic in New Hampshire. The goal is to rid the city of “street level dealers,” in an attempt to make a positive and immediate impact in the illegal New Hampshire drug industry.

The operation began at 12:30 p.m. at 495 Old Wellington Road. Detectives and Agents executed a search and located and arrested Mark Gray, 38 of Boston, Massachusetts. He was located inside of his 2000 Mercedes when detectives arrived on scene. Gray was the target of the investigation, so both the Old Wellington Road address and his vehicle were the targets of the search warrant. They made contact with Gray, who initially refused to exit the vehicle. He eventually exited but continued being non-compliant while attempting to reach for an item in his pants. He was brought to the ground after detectives deployed a taser. He remained uncooperative in the booking area and pushed one of the officers on scene, which prompted the Obstruction of Government Operations charge.

He was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Drug (5g marijuana), Sale/Manufacture of Controlled Drug, Resisting Arrest and Obstructing Government Operations. Detectives located and seized $5,861.00 United States Currency, 5 grams of marijuana and his Mercedes. He will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on September 25, 2015. His vehicle was seized as a result of the investigation.

Investigators executed the search warrant before continuing on the joint operation. Investigators located and arrested Errol Flynn, 42 of Manchester, New Hampshire. They located him on Valley Street, across form the Manchester Police Department. He had an active Arrest Warrant for Sale of a Controlled Drug (Crack-cocaine). A search incident to arrest reveled he was in possession of 7.5 grams of crack-cocaine and 2 grams of marijuana.

Flynn was charged with Possession of a Controlled Drug and will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on September 25, 2015.

Detectives made the next arrest near 472 Granite Street, which had been a target address based on numerous drug complaints. They observed a 2003 Subaru pull in front of the address approximately 4;00 p.m. yesterday and observed the passenger exit the vehicle and briefly enter the Granite Street apartment. They conducted a motor vehicle stop and identified and arrested Dusty Frasca, 31 of Nashua, New Hampshire.

Frasca was charged with Possession of a Controlled Drug after they located .6grams of heroin on him. He will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on September 25, 2015.

Approximately twenty minutes later investigators located one of the targets at the Econo Lodge, 75 West Hancock Street. The arrested subject, Jon Artis, 27 of Lowell, Massachusetts allegedly engaged in a hand to hand drug transaction, which the detectives witnessed. They attempted to stop Artis after identifying themselves as law enforcement officers, but he refused and ran down a flight of stairs. After a brief struggle, he was subdued after a department issued taser was deployed.

Artis was in possession of 1.3 grams of heroin and charged with Sale of a Controlled Drug (warrant) and Resisting Arrest/Detention. He too will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on September 25, 2015.

Approximately 6:15 p.m. units observed suspicious activity in the parking lot of Market Basket, Elm Street. They observed two vehicles engaging in what they believed to be illegal drug transactions, so they stopped the 2001 Ford Taurus and identified three subjects, Matthew Barna, 42-years of age, Brenton Duchesneau, 28-years of age and arrested Andrea Paquette, 27 of Windam, New Hampshire.

Paquette was in possession of 9.2 grams of marijuana, so she was taken into custody without incident. She was released on $1,000.00 personal recognizance bail and will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on October 29, 2015.

Additional plain clothes detectives observed two female engage in a possible hand to hand transaction around 6:45 p.m. in the area of Beech Street and Laurel Street. They conducted a field stop and spoke with arrested, Stephanie Beard, 27, No fixed address.  Beard was charged with Possession of a Controlled Drug (heroin) and also charged with an outstanding Robbery Warrant. She will appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on September 25, 2015.

At approximately 7:55 p.m. units conducted a motor vehicle stop of a yellow Mitsubishi Lancer in the area of Wellington Road and Interstate 93. They received information earlier in the day about this vehicle possibly being involved in illegal drug trafficking. Inside, they located and arrested Angel Alicea, 53 of Manchester, New Hampshire. He was seated in the rear passenger seat and was in possession of cocaine. The driver was not charged with any crime. He was charged with Possession of a controlled drug and will  appear in the 9^th Circuit Court-Manchester on October 27, 2015. He was released on $1,000.00 personal recognizance.