What started as a narcotics investigation in Waltham ended in a library parking lot, where police say a 33-year-old man was arrested after officers turned up more than two kilograms of suspected cocaine and a car stocked with drug-dealing gear.
Last Thursday, Waltham police and detectives with the Southern Middlesex County Drug Task Force say their probe led to a search that uncovered the stash and put one suspect in custody, with a second man now wanted on an arrest warrant.
According to a post by the Waltham Police Department, Southern Middlesex County Drug Task Force detectives executed a search warrant at 7 Exchange Court, Apartment 2 on April 9, where they say they recovered several packages of suspected cocaine weighing more than two kilograms in total.
Officers also reported finding three small bags of white powder in a vehicle’s center-console tray, weighing about 5.3 grams, along with digital scales, narcotics packaging materials, a digital money counter, nearly $12,000 in cash and a police scanner tuned to the Waltham PD frequency. Police say 33-year-old Tyrone Martinez was seen driving to the Waltham Public Library parking lot and was arrested there, and that an arrest warrant has been issued for 34-year-old Michael Owes of Waltham.
Charges and state law
Waltham police say Martinez is charged with trafficking in cocaine over 200 grams, possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug laws. Under Massachusetts law, trafficking at the 200-gram threshold comes with steep mandatory minimum sentences and lengthy potential state prison time. Details of the trafficking penalties and conspiracy provision are outlined by the Massachusetts Legislature and the Massachusetts Legislature.
What investigators say they found
Detectives described the haul as the product of a targeted narcotics investigation that turned up not just suspected cocaine but the trappings of a small-scale trafficking operation, including packaging materials and tools commonly used to portion and move illegal drugs. The department’s post, which includes photos of the scene and seized items, also highlights the nearly $12,000 in cash and the digital money counter recovered at the address, according to the Waltham Police Department.
What happens next
Martinez remains in custody and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Waltham Police Department or the Southern Middlesex County Drug Task Force through their official channels.
