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Massachusetts State Police and Holyoke Police, along with members of a gang task force, arrested two men on cocaine and heroin charges during a raid Friday, and additionally charged one of them with ammunition offenses after finding 148 bullets in boxes concealed in a sock on his bedroom floor.
Troopers from the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit, local officers, and members of the FBI Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force executed a search warrant on the second floor of 561 South Summer St., Holyoke, pursuant to an investigation into heroin distribution from that apartment.
Upon arriving at that location police observed multiple surveillance cameras on the outside of the target apartment. When no one answered the door, Troopers and officers made a forced entry and located two suspects in separate bedrooms: JUAN PACHECO, 33, and HERMAN GOMEZ, 19, both residents of the apartment.
Inside a pill bottle that PACHECO was carrying police found several twisted pieces of plastic baggies containing suspected crack cocaine, another zip baggie containing suspected crack cocaine, and 15 baggies, each stamped with the words “Frosted Flakes” in blue ink, containing a tan-colored powder suspected to be heroin.
Holyoke Police K9 Officer Matthew Welch and his partner Ryker performed a search of the apartment. Ryker demonstrated a response when he sniffed the dresser in suspect GOMEZ’s bedroom. In a small box atop the dresser, Troopers and officers found seven baggies containing a tan-colored granular substance believed to be heroin. Each of those baggies was stamped in blue ink with the word “Deadline.”
Under that same dresser – which had drawn Ryker’s attention – police found several small zip baggies containing a white powder believed to be cocaine.
Troopers and officers also located, inside of a sock on GOMEZ’s bedroom floor, two opened boxes of .22 caliber ammunition, containing a total of 148 rounds. One other bullet, a .45 caliber, was on the dresser. GOMEZ does not have a Firearm Identification Card, which is required by law to possess ammunition. As well, a total of $10,900 cash was found in the men’s rooms.
No items found in the apartment suggested that either suspect personally used the drugs that were found. Police observed that the video surveillance system set up at the residence included three cameras on the front of the building and one other on the rear.
The suspects were transported to the Holyoke Police Department for booking.
JUAN PACHECO was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, subsequent offense; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, subsequent offense; and conspiracy to violate narcotics law.
HERMAN GOMEZ was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; possession of heroin with intent to distribute; unlawful possession of ammunition; and conspiracy to violate narcotics law.
Additionally, PACHECO is currently on probation from Hampden Superior Court, while GOMEZ has pending cases in Holyoke District Court for firearm and ammunition crimes.
Participating in the investigation and arrests were members of the Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit’s West Team, Holyoke Police Department, Easthampton Police Department, and the FBI Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force.
