DA Shugrue Touts Recent Drug-Trafficking Arrests
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Drug-trafficking raids between August and September have resulted in the indictment of nine individuals and the seizure of drugs and illegal firearms.
On Tuesday, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue held a press conference to announce the outcome of eight search warrants conducted by Pittsfield Police Department, the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, and the Berkshire County Law Enforcement Task Force.
"When answering to this office, I vowed to stem the tide of violence affecting Pittsfield and the surrounding areas, all of Berkshire County. We have made significant progress through such operations, but operations that identify and address the source of violence are just the beginning," he said.
"In nearly every case, the violence in our communities is linked to drug trafficking. That is why I remain firmly committed to proactively investigating and disrupting both drug and firearms trafficking operations in the Berkshires."
Along with the arrest of nine people, police found 911 grams of heroin, 1,004 grams of cocaine, 68 still unidentified pills, $103,000 of suspected drug revenue, and five illegal guns — two of which were high-capacity firearms.
Investigations started in June. Shugrue reported that the state has awarded the Berkshire District Attorney's Office several large-scale grants that make investigations like this possible.
Mayor Peter Marchetti said it was another example of what can be accomplished through collaboration.
"Since I've held the role of mayor, I have made it a priority to work with our law enforcement partners to take proactive action against those who are causing harm and destruction in our city, curbing violent crimes before they happen," he said.
"It is time that we hold these individuals accountable, removing illegal drugs and guns from the streets."
The DA reported that his office has coordinated five such operations in his tenure. He said they were done as safe takedowns for the officers, defendants, and the surrounding community.
Defendants are not yet named, but Shugrue reported that it is a mix of Berkshire County residents and outsiders. He said his office is trying to change the mentality and culture so that drug traffickers don't believe they can get away with criminal actions here.
"These are high-level drug dealers. These are not addicts. These are business people. They're making hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said.
The investigation also expanded beyond the county to a house in West Springfield that was being used as part of the drug-trafficking operation and appeared to be the source of the drugs.
"I can tell you that this isn't the first time that we reached outside the county to get a source house. We did that last spring when we went to Lowell. There's been an immense amount of work," Shugrue reported.
"… I can tell you that the work that was done on this was terrific. I review these types of warrants every 10 days. There was a lot of work and effort that was put into it. I'm proud of the effort that was put out there. It was first-class quality work."
Marchetti said community members and businesses deserve to feel safe and protected, and this announcement shows that city leaders are listening and taking steps to address concerns.
"This is a time to remind us that when we see something, say something, you may not think that we take any action on something that you saw or reported to us, but we do," he advised.
Tags: arrests, district attorney, drug trafficking,
