Boston police netted a significant haul in Mattapan this week, snaring over half a pound of cocaine and a loaded "ghost gun" in a bust linked to an ongoing drug investigation. Ted Bernier, 38, faced the music in court after his arrest on multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and drug trafficking, authorities said.
During the surveillance operation on Monday evening, officers from the drug control unit of District E-18 (Hyde Park) were staking out 885 Cummins Highway when they spotted a vehicle and a swift exchange between Bernier and another male, sparking suspicion of a drug deal, Boston Police reported. Post pick-up, the vehicle with Bernier in tow made an illegal U-turn on River Street, leading to a traffic stop by the vigilant officers.
The stop rapidly escalated as officers noticed a large plastic bag inside the operator’s pants. It turned out to be packed with a whopping 272 grams of cocaine. But the discoveries didn't end there; the police also dug out a STK 100 (Ghost Gun) from the vehicle, armed and ready with four bullets in the magazine.
The arrest threw Bernier, a Revere resident, behind bars, with an arraignment in Dorchester District Court lying in wait. The charges against him include unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and trafficking in class B drugs. His detainment marks a notch in the belt of the E-18 drug control unit's unrelenting crackdown on local drug operations and its entwined gun violence.
