3 Men Arrested Following Drug Deal in Worcester
Thursday, September 13, 2018
GoLocalWorcester News Team
Three men were arrested after conducting an open-air drug deal in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven convenient store located at 973 Main Street in Worcester.
According to police, “this store has had problems with loitering and other criminal activities that have been taking place in the parking lot area,” so officers were on patrol there while the deal took place.
The Incident
On Monday, September 10, a Worcester police officer working out of the Operations Division was on routine patrol in the Main South area. At approximately 1:14 a.m., the officer was near the 7-Eleven convenient store located at 973 Main Street.
The officer met up with another Worcester police officer that was working a nearby private detail. The detail officer said that he had been watching two men that had been standing in front of the store for the past half hour. The two men never went into the store and had been on the store property standing nearby a “No Trespassing” sign that was clearly posted.
The officer was heading towards the store parking lot when the detail officer, in a stationary position sitting in an unmarked vehicle, radioed to the approaching officer that he had just saw a car pull into the parking lot. The officer saw the driver of that car (later identified as Jose Rivera-Velazquez, 31-years-old of 112 Harrington Street) conduct a street-level drug transaction between another male that was later identified as Julio Sanchez, 48-years-old of 709 Lancaster Street, Leominster.
The officer entered the parking lot with his marked cruiser. A man, later identified as Villaloon Rodriguez, 44, of 62 Charptier BLVD, Chicopee, was seen exiting Sanchez’s car and throw a glass pipe to the ground causing it to break in several pieces. Based on the officer’s observations, it was believed that a street-level drug transaction had recently taken place. As a result, a search of Sanchez’s MV produced some crack cocaine on the driver’s floor. A search of Sanchez and Rodriguez produced negative results.
Officers then searched Rivera-Velazquez and located two knotted plastic baggies that contained crack cocaine, one knotted plastic baggie that contained heroin and one knotted plastic baggie that contained cocaine and $113.00 in cash.
Rivera-Velazquez, was placed under arrest and charged with possession of class A substance with the intent to distribute, possession of class B substance with the intent to distribute, possession of class A substance, possession of class B substance and conspiracy to violate the controlled substance laws.
Sanchez was placed under arrest and charged with trespassing, possession of class B substance and conspiracy to violate controlled substance laws.
Rodriguez was placed under arrest and charged with trespassing.
The drugs and cash were confiscated as evidence.