Eight arrested in heroin bust

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:31:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Allenstown and Pittsfield police busted a heroin ring after a long investigation that ended in the raiding of an Allenstown woman’s apartment on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

Police arrested eight people, including a family: two Pittsfield residents who were making runs from an Allenstown apartment back to Pittsfield, three people living in the apartment, and three teens facing marijuana possession charges who were also in the apartment when police entered.

A ninth person who allegedly also lives in the apartment is still being sought, said Allenstown Police Chief Shaun Mulholland. That person left before authorities hit the apartment.

Rose Watterson, 40, of 5 Whitten St., Apt. 5, was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, a Class A felony, and with falsifying evidence after she attempted to hide the drugs inside her body, said Mulholland.

Watterson was arraigned in the intensive care unit at Concord Hospital on Thursday, Aug. 21.

While in the holding cell at the Allenstown Police Department, as police were in the process of obtaining a body cavity search warrant, Watterson removed the 48 “bindles” of heroin she had concealed inside her body and swallowed them, causing her to become ill and start vomiting, Mulholland said. “It shows you how desperate people are because that could have killed her,” said Mulholland, if one of the plastic baggies containing the drugs had burst in her stomach.

Police seized about $5,000 worth of heroin from Watterson and four other suspects, said Mulholland.

“That’s a very small amount compared to what’s been going on there,” Mulholland said. “That’s about a third of a day’s activity.”

The investigation started several months ago. The raid and arrests involved the Pittsfield and Allenstown police departments, the Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, the Central New Hampshire Special Operations Unit, and the Attorney General’s Drug Task unit.

The apartment complex where Watterson lived is right across the street from Whitten Street Park, and the Allenstown Boys and Girls Club teen center.

Just before authorities entered the apartment, Suzanne Gross, 41, and Dennis Gross, 59, of 240 Dowboro Road in Pittsfield, had allegedly left the apartment with heroin. Surveillance officers observed the couple leaving the apartment, Mulholland said.

Pittsfield caught up with the Grosses and arrested them once they got into town. Suzanne Gross was charged with three felony counts of selling drugs and Dennis Gross was charged with transporting them, a misdemeanor.

At 9 p.m., about 40 police officers raided the Whitten Street apartment building from two different sides.

Along with Watterson, police arrested two other men who lived there with her: James Corriveau, 39, who was arrested on a felony heroin charge out of Massachusetts; and Kevin Folsom Sr., who was arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge.

Mulholland said Folsom is Watterson’s ex-husband and Corriveau is her current boyfriend.

Also arrested was the 19- year-old son of Watterson and Folsom who was living in the apartment, Kevin Folsom Jr., for possession of marijuana.

Police also arrested Brandon Millette, 18, of 36 Library St., Allenstown, and Daniel Millette, 17, of 56 Arlene St., Belmont, and charged them with marijuana possession.

Police believe the teens were operating their own pot business out of the home as well.

“It was like a department store. You went to one department and got one thing and went to the other department and got another thing,” Mulholland said.

This isn’t the first time Watterson has been arrested for drug activity, he said, adding she served time for heroin sale in the past.

This investigation was the result of anonymous tips from the Concord Crimeline, Mulholland said.

Allenstown News : heroin

Eight arrested in heroin bust