A 37-year-old West Haven man is being held on a $1 million bond after Meriden police said a traffic stop near the Meriden Green led them to a handgun, a stash of drugs, and an unsupervised 10-year-old child inside his home. Sherrod Franklin now faces 11 charges stemming from the Oct. 29 arrest, part of what police describe as an ongoing effort to crack down on narcotics and illegal gun possession in the area.
According to WFSB, the arrest stemmed from an investigation tied to firearm and drug sales near the Meriden Green, where the Meriden Police Department says it has received multiple complaints about quality-of-life issues and narcotics activity. Police said Franklin attempted to flee a traffic stop before officers caught up with him and allegedly found him in possession of narcotics and enough marijuana to sell. As reported by WTNH, police said they were performing a “targeted enforcement effort” in response to narcotics activity in that same area when the encounter occurred.
Police said he attempted to elude police during the stop, per the same account. With Franklin in custody, Meriden police obtained a search warrant for his home, where they said they found a handgun, a high-capacity magazine, and additional sale quantities of narcotics and marijuana. Officers also reported finding a 10-year-old child who had been left unsupervised inside the apartment.
Franklin Faces 11 Charges, Including Risk of Injury to a Minor
Franklin faces 11 charges in total, including possession of narcotics and marijuana with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, interfering with an officer, and risk of injury to a minor, the station notes. Police said Franklin is a convicted felon and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. He remains held on a $1 million bond.
The case is the latest in a string of Meriden operations targeting the Meriden Green corridor downtown. Police have issued numerous infraction tickets and made arrests ranging from pedestrian and motor vehicle violations to narcotics activity as part of the broader push, the outlet reports. In August, four people were arrested during a separate operation at the Meriden Green, with two held on $75,000 bonds and two released at the scene, according to WFSB.
Pattern of Guns and Drugs Turning Up in Recent Meriden Cases
Franklin's case echoes several other recent Meriden arrests involving firearms and narcotics. In May, police arrested 32-year-old Julian Bradford after finding him riding a stolen scooter near the downtown green with a firearm and high-capacity magazine; he was held on a $350,000 bond, WFSB reported separately. That same month, police executed a search warrant at a Willow Street residence following numerous complaints, seizing 30 grams of fentanyl pills, 12 grams of crack cocaine, digital scales, a BB gun, and two 9mm rounds, according to the Hartford Courant.
In another case this spring, Meriden police and the DEA investigated Johnny Irizarry for alleged narcotics trafficking in the area; a search of his vehicle turned up a Glock 17 with a high-capacity magazine, roughly 51 grams of fentanyl folds, 71 grams of crack cocaine, ammunition, and digital scales, the Courant reported in a separate story. After that arrest, the Courant noted the Meriden Police Department said it will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who illegally possess firearms or distribute narcotics in the community.
Anyone with information related to narcotics activity in Meriden is urged to call the Meriden Police narcotics tip line at 203-630-6273.
