Chelsea detectives say a Friday search of a Central Avenue apartment turned up roughly 173 grams of suspected crack cocaine and more than $2,000 in cash, ending with the arrest of a 35-year-old resident.
The suspect, identified by police as Jose Rivera, was taken into custody without incident. According to Chelsea police, he is charged with trafficking in cocaine over 100 grams and resisting arrest, and is expected to be arraigned in Chelsea District Court.
Detectives Say Warrant Search Turned Up Drugs And Cash
Investigators with the Chelsea Police Department say they executed a person-and-residence search warrant at 122 Central Ave., Apartment 1 on Friday. Inside, detectives report finding about 173 grams of what they believe is crack cocaine along with more than $2,000 in U.S. currency.
Police identified the resident as Jose Rivera, 35, and say he was arrested without incident at the scene. According to the department, Rivera was charged with Trafficking in Cocaine (over 100 grams) and Resisting Arrest. Those details appear in a post by the Chelsea Police Department.
What The Charge Could Mean
Under Massachusetts law, trafficking 100–200 grams of cocaine falls into a weight band that can carry an eight-year mandatory minimum sentence, according to the state's sentencing guidelines. Any final charge and sentence will depend on lab testing and how prosecutors proceed in court, according to Mass.gov.
Part Of A Wider Drug Crackdown
The arrest is the latest in a run of Chelsea-area operations in recent months that have produced sizable drug seizures and multiple arrests, a pattern that highlights an intensified focus on narcotics enforcement in the community. Local reporting has documented earlier raids that turned up fentanyl, cocaine and substantial cash hauls, as reported by the Chelsea Record.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chelsea Police Department at (617) 466-4800 or use the department's anonymous tip line at 617-466-4880, the department wrote in its post. The same post from the Chelsea Police Department also reminds the public that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
