Largest drug bust in local history

By George P. Hassett

Neighborhood complaints led to Somerville police seizing 941 grams of pure heroin last night and arresting two men and two women.

Ricardo L. Gomez, 38, of Providence, Rhode Island, Fiorlenis Jimenez, 22, of Mattapan, Xiomara A. Ortiz, of Jamaica Plain and Raymundo Baez, 31, address unknown, were arrested after a six month investigation.

The street value of the heroin seized could be as high as a half million dollars according to Somerville drug detectives, who worked alone in the investigation. The arrests happnened on Franklin Street.

Also seized was a .380 caliber pistol. Gomez, Jiminez and Ortiz were charged with trafficking heroin, drug violation in a school zone, conspiracy to violate drug laws, carrying a firearm without a license and carrying ammunition without a license. Baez was charged with trafficking heroin and drug violation near a school zone.

Investigators anticipated finding heroin but they did not expect to come up with the city's biggest bust ever, said Capt. Paul Upton.

"We weren't expecting the French Connection in there," he said at today's press conference.

Police were tipped off to the drug activity when neighborhood residents complained anonymously to police through letters and phone calls to police and the city's 311 line, said Acting Police Chief Robert R. Bradley.

Comments

[rachelfromtheville]

A BIG Thank You to the SPD and all of the other departments who had a hand in taking these disgusting drug dealers OFF the street. Good work guys, it is much appreciated.

[jojowhite]

The boston globe online writes that Maria Curtatone, the mayor's sister is defending the master mind behind the bust....

[S.O.]

Isn't that a conflict of interest? If her client gets off, the mayor and the police will look very bad. If he gets convicted, maybe he'd try appealing because his counsel had a conflict of interest.

[Bob Martin]

When are going to bust the people smoking crack behind the Abbey Lounge?

[twobadmoves]

well it looks like these idiot criminal made two dumb mistakes in less than 24 hours first showing up to sell drugs and getting caught then hiring maria to defend them. they better hope they get deported cuz with maria defending them they are sure to get the death penalty. Dont worry S.O. they wont get off maria is 0 for 500 defending cases she is a terrbile lawyer

[Somerspeak]

Congratulations to the Chief. Just in the nick of time. When is it again that the new chief of police will be chosen by the Mayor?

I'm sure it's just a coincidence. Right Acting Chief?

[Go Figure]

twobadmoves,

No kidding! Maria in a drug case is like George Costanza in a relationship... doomed to failure. Ha Ha Ha.

[unionsquareboy]

Hey JoeyCakes, I just saw you on "Nightline" talking about our fair city. Boy, fix your friggin' teeth!

[Ron Newman]

I though he came across pretty well on national TV. Gotta love him saying "Somerville Rocks!"

[Ron Newman]

oops, mistyped. "though" -> "thought"

[Hedley Lamarr]

I heard on my scanner last night there was a shooting at Mr. B's. Anyone else hear anything about that?

[Derek]

Where, exactly, was this. This is a Somerville paper and the best we can get is "East Somerville?"

[Marcus Henderson]

Sorry to say but all the news organizations including Somerville Journal were ahead of the story before The Somerville News. Why is Somerville News always so late to report things???

[Tricky Dicky]

I guess that OXEY don't count you jut get off and nothing ever happens to you EH

[Interesting, all the last names end with "ez" or "iz"...]

No comment.

[Now That's a Revelation]

Boston.com
"Baez's lawyer, Maria C. Curtatone, said her client did not know the three people in the Toyota."

One can only wonder if he how good an attorney he hired... I'm sorry... I'm laughing too hard to continue...

[heynow]

I heard about shots fired at Mr B's last night also.
Can't seem to find any press on it though...

[Ron Newman]

The story now says "Franklin Street" (but maybe it didn't when Derek posted his comment this morning)

[S.]

I saw on the bostonchannel.com that the address was 49 Franklin Street. That's the only place I've seen that info though ...

[Somerspeak]

Nothing to worry about folks. Chief Bradley and Mayor Joe in charge here. Move along now.

[Derek]

Thanks, Ron. And Thanks to The News for updating the story to include the street.

[brickbottom]

"We weren't expecting the French Connection in there,"

Are you kidding me? This is just the tip of the iceberg. This bust will have no long lasting affect to the drug business in this city. It is just a blip on the screen. This bust probably accounts for about 1% of the drugs in this city. It was a good bust but not even close to making any kind of difference to what is sold on a daily basis in this city. Lets get real.

[nutjob@yahoo.com]

Why would that nut job maria go on tv against her brother?? Her brother is trying to a good thing and her she is making controversy once again. She is a loose cannon...

[Ron Newman]

I find it amusing that she is legally defending immigrants after running an anti-immigrant campaign against Mayor Capuano.

[it *is* funny]

I know people who work in the DA's office and MariaC is known as a whackjob. She's really not very good, according to these folks I trust, and is a bit of a laughing stock for her sartorial style. In other words, she dresses like a lady of the night.

[Runs in the Family]

Joe Curtatone's reputation as a criminal defense lawyer was also dismal, alhthough many of his clients have remained loyal. As one Asst. DA once told me, "If you divided the price of his suits by the quality of his representation, the result would be infinite."

[thenoseknows]

hey runs in the family...the parents are immigrants, the father dies when they were teens, and the kids are first generation americans. ...both are lawyers and one is the mayor...how long has your family been here and what do you and your siblings do for a living....its so easy to be critical....maybe when you remove the branch from your eye you will see the splinter in someone elses.

[rachelfromtheville]

Christ, they take half a million dollars worth of DOPE off the street and all everyone here can do is bitch about the Curtatones and how its good timing for the Cheif....sheesh...what is it that's gonna make people happy? Watching the whole city burn to the ground so that you "new somervillians" can build it back up to your liking?

Be happy that your kids arent gonna get a hold of the crap they just pulled off the street. I sure am. Try and at least be a LITTLE supportive of what the SPD just accomplished.

[Somerspeak]

Rachel,

Nobody said we were not grateful for the select few of the SPD who actually do their jobs, and do them well, on a regular basis. But for those of us who have been around, we see things that really make us wonder. Six months to set this sting? C'mon Rachel, think. One week before the Mayor, who has already said publicly that he will recommend Bradley for the job, makes the list public, he and Bradley show up in the media, bells tolling about the "biggest bust" in history? Rachel, either you are an ardent supporter of this fraud of a Mayor or you are just too young to understand.

Let me state this the best way I can. I appreciate and admire everything the personnel of the SPD do for us. I just don't admire the way the Mayor and the Chief are playing politics with our(and the SPD personnel's) safety.

[rachelfromtheville]

Somerspeak...Yeah, I get your point and you have every right to your opinions and comments...absolutely! Do I agree with all that you say? No...Which is my right. The point of my post was not to debate...it was simply to point out that, no matter how, why or when it got done, it got done. And thank goodness that it did get done...for I am old enough to have know many people who have succumed to drugs in many ways. I HATE drugs. And If I could personally organize a parade for ANYONE who plays a part in taking them OFF the streets(especially my streets) I absolutely would. I see people on this blog bashing a job well done(all speculation aside) and I felt the need to respond to it and express my own feelings. Take it as you will and have a good night.

[thenoseknows]

somerspeak.. so the chief and the mayor, in your opinion, had full control over how and when this bust went down and are using it as a political tool? they are the mayor and the chief of police. they have every right to be present when the media are there. if this were capuano it would play on channel 16 for the next 2 years.maybe you would be happy if buonomo or gay or lafuente were mayor.
and the just too young to understand comment wtf was that o wise guru of all that is somerville. do you have kids? does anything make you happy? you go rachel

[rachelfromtheville]

LOL...The Nose DOES know.
Thanks for saying what I wanted to say but didnt to avoid a lengthy debate with someone who is full of contempt!

[Go Figure]

Rachel,
You're a despicable fraud! At 9:36 you said "The point of my post was not to debate...it was simply to point out that, no matter how, why or when it got done, it got done."

An hour later you say "Thanks for saying what I wanted to say but didnt to avoid a lengthy debate with someone who is full of contempt!"

So really your point was to fight with someone but you don't have the guts to say it yourself after you got whacked by Somerspeak.

I've been around awhile, and I say with confidence thaT Somerspeak is on of the most informed posters on this site. You and and Buckley (oops, Nose) shouldn't argue with him, you should get to bed. You have to be at the DPW yard by noon.

[thenoseknows]

maybe you work at the dpw yard. i dont work for the city or the state for that matter.just because you work for the city and you have to actually WORK now, dont be bitter. you should be happy , i think that the city never looked so good. i hope stan cracks the whip on your ass first thing 7am sharp.buckley?? r u gone. you have no idea. but lets get back to the story THE DRUGS ARE OFF THE STREET. and brickbottom another old wise sage...we have no idea? and you do. you know that 99% of the drugs are still on the street.what are you? a columbian cartel member? you probably didnt even know where brickbottom was till the apartments were built there.

[rachelfromtheville]

Go figure-
I have been a long time reader of this blog. I've only just started to actually comment in the past few weeks. The reason why was to avoid being called names when someone disagreed with what i posted. That seems to happed often here.

It wasnt my point to debate but everything thenose posted, I agreed with. So what, because I didnt actually say it, that makes me a fraud? oh, sorry..."a dispicable fraud"...i'm sorry, i have enough integrity to refrain from name-calling.

Now you go to bed...you're attacking people for no reason and youre not even making any sense.

[Moby Dick]

note to all. usually a 4:42 AM post is a cop !

[Tricky Dicky]

Listen all of us are glad that that much heroin is of the street's but they go down because the push and are near a school, but nothing happens when it was in a school? Just don't do it again

[Matt Hassett]

Saw your name on Bostonist and had to comment.

[BloggerX]

I know how to fix this. Lets have a war on drugs. That should silence the critics.

[brickbottom]

nose,

You say: "and brickbottom another old wise sage...we have no idea? and you do. you know that 99% of the drugs are still on the street.what are you? a columbian cartel member? you probably didnt even know where brickbottom was till the apartments were built there."

Anyone that grew up in Somerville knows that this is only a small portion of the drugs entering this city, you don't have to be a drug dealer to find that out, just take your head out of the sand once in awhile. As for not knowing about brickbottom, a lot of my family members grew up in that part of Somerville.

You are barking up the wrong tree nose.

[brickbottom]

One other thing:

I just hope that they store these drugs, money and weapons anywhere but in the evidence room at the SPD. They will actually need evidence when this is brought to trial. We don't need another "deskgate".

[it *is* funny]

One of Bradley's accomplishments that he touted in the Budget Hearings (according to that other paper) was cleaning up the evidence room. How that gets spun as an accomplishment I have no idea but I digress.... I guess now they'll be able to SEE the desk before they throw it out. If Gerry Leone has been paying attention at all, he'll make sure that the old SPD don't get to hold the evidence.

[Mayor Curtatone, Chief Bradley, doing great job]

I'd like to commend the Mayor and Police Chief for a fine police department. Leaders like Bradley and Joe know what it takes to move the department and city in the right direction. I hope they keep up the great work and continue to fight crime in the city. God bless all the fine men and women of the SPD.

[Fool on the Hill]

Dear Knowledgeable Nose,

In the three or so years that I've been reading what you put on this blog, your posts are always about defending Joe Curtatone, or attacking someone who is critical of his administration. Loyalty is a virtue. But what you post usually isn't verifiable in the way that, say, the Mole’s posts are, even though you frequently attack him.

I appreciate that, in the past, you've been willing to have a give and take conversation. And I appreciate that, with a few exceptions, your attacks aren't usually personal. The personal stuff that people post to the site is rarely helpful in understanding what is discussed, and more often just hurts and angers people.

For the same reason, the Curtatones’ family history in Somerville isn't relevant to Mr. Curtatone's job performance, either as an attorney or as a mayor. If we were to get into that history, it would be more complicated and less pretty that the sketch that you posted of hardworking immigrants who do well in the land of opportunity.

Let's stick to issues and information that can be verified.

[thenoseknows]

ok fool im with you ill do my best to keep personalities out...but.... ,i was responding to somerspeak and go figure and i guess you think its better left undefended.what i posted is 100% accurate, my fingers do not move unless i am positive about what i am posting. the mole, and i know i shouldnt be doing this,is a bomb tosser, total speculation on situations that rarely happen. again, i will try to post without as you say hurtfullness and anger, that is a reasonable request. just one thing i ask from now on, can it be Mr.Knowledgeable Nose

[bandofotters]

I grew up at 40 Franklin St. I remember #49 well with its well-kept gardens and doves. What a change!

Question, those four people did not live at #49 and there was no mention of anyone who does live there and there was no mention of any search of the residence. Does anyone know anything about the fine citizens who actually live there?

[I]

I wonder what the third Curtatone was doing in ten hills knocking on doors, looking for what? maybe the nose nose?

[Charlie Stromboli]

Great job by the Somerville Police. It's nice to see how they actually used the residents information and not ignore it like the Cambridge Police.

I live in Cambridge and I wish the Drug Unit in my City produced busts like that !

By the way, get those Police dogs a nice hot roast beef sandwich from Kelly's. They deserve it.