Massachusetts State Police arrested one man following a major drug bust in Springfield, netting a pair of guns, trafficking amounts of bagged crack cocaine and heroin, a stockpile of ammunition and various items that could be used to impersonate law enforcement.
The Mass. State Police Gang Unit, Western Mass. Gang Force, Hampton County State Police Detectives and ATF agents reportedly executed a search warrant on Tyler Street in connection to an active investigation into a crack cocaine distribution case in Springfield at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Police said they found their target suspect, Roy Santiago, hiding in a closet, and another man lying facedown on the floor behind the locked door of an adjacent room.
During the search, police located a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver in a bedroom dresser, as well as a .22 caliber Ruger semiautomatic handgun in a holster. Officials later determined that the Ruger was stolen in Windsor, Vermont, last year, and that Santiago did not have a license to carry a firearm.
Police brought in the drug canine unit, who alerted officers to a bed stand as well as the closet Santiago hid in.
According to reports, officers found about 118 grams divided into 12 individually sealed baggies, about 83 grams of a white, rock-like substance consistent with crack cocaine divvied into 12 individually sealed baggies as well as a red ink blotter and a stamp reading “Life Is Beautiful,” known to officials as the type of stamp used to mark baggies of heroin.
Police also found six .357 bullets wrapped in a blunt wrap, a box containing 44 additional .357 bullets, another box containing 47 .25 caliber bullets, and a box containing 45 .38 special bullets.
Officials said they found a black duffel bag containing a security badge with neck chain, three two-way radios, rubber gloves, a ski mask, a camouflage face mask, zip-tie handcuffs, a gun holster, two tactical vests with carry compartments as well as two baseball hats with law enforcement logos.
Santiago, 23, was charged with receiving stolen property, trafficking in heroin, as well as cocaine, unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of improper storage of a firearm, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
He was held on $100,000 at the Hampden House of Correction, and is said to have been arraigned on Friday.
