Last night, a routine patrol for officers of District B-3 (Mattapan) took a turn when they apprehended 49-year-old Melvin Ward of Dorchester on drug trafficking charges following a traffic stop in the area of Washington Street and Fenelon Street.
The officers, already engaged in a drug investigation, were on the lookout for suspicious activity when they noted Ward operating a moped with no visible registration. According to the Boston Police Department's official report, a traffic stop was initiated, and it was found that Ward was unable to produce a driver's license, providing instead his name and date of birth. Officers checked this information against their records, confirming that his license was indeed suspended.
A search of Ward yielded twelve small bags of marijuana and $961 in cash. Further inspection revealed the moped was stolen. Subsequently, Ward was handcuffed, and during a thorough search of his person, officers discovered a large bag that they suspected contained crack cocaine, later found to weigh approximately 27.6 grams.
Ward is facing several charges, including Trafficking of Class B Crack Cocaine, the Receiving of Stolen Property, and Operating with a Suspended License. He is set to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court. The Boston Police Department's statement points out the significance of the traffic stop, not just for Ward's apprehension but for the means through which the larger drug issue in the city is being tackled, one traffic stop at a time.
