Pelham News : Drug bust

Drugs at Pelham High School

Salem Editor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:13:00 GMT

A 16-year-old Pelham High School student was arrested on the second day of school for allegedly bringing narcotics into the school to sell them to other students.

The student’s name is not being released because he is a juvenile. Police are pursuing charges through Salem Family Court for possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute.

Police were called to the high school Thursday, Aug. 28, at 12:35 p.m. Assistant Principal Leland Brennan Jr. said he got an anonymous tip that the student had prescription pills at the school. Brennan could not say whether that source was a student or not, he said.

“We had a confidential source tell us that he was in possession,” said Brennan. “Our process always is, unless there’s a threat to other students, like a weapon or something like that, we always deal with the student first,” he said, in case the tip is misleading or in error.

After questioning the student in private, the student handed 19 pills to Brennan, who in turn called police, Brennan said. Police were able to identify the pills, 14 of which were the narcotic Adderall and the rest Vyvanse. Both prescription medications are used in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder.

The student has been suspended from school, although Brennan said he could not reveal how long that suspension will last.

Brennan said prescription drug use is on the rise among students, but said he and other administrators are making every effort to eliminate all types of drugs from the school.

“I think the prescription drugs are becoming the drug du jour, if you would,” Brennan said, adding they are easily obtained and hidden from view.

Pelham High School has a very stringent medication policy, Brennan said. Students are not supposed to keep any medications on their person throughout the day, and instead have to store them at the nurse’s office. Parents have to give the nurse their written consent to allow their children to have medication at the school.

“We’re trying to monitor it the best we can,” said Brennan, although he added it’s difficult to catch every pill bottle. “If we catch that, it’s confidential, and the parents are notified of our medication policy. I think most of the kids realize that they’re not supposed to have any type of medications on them at school grounds at all.”

The hard part, Brennan said, is sustaining their status as an educational institution without overstepping their bounds by searching the backpacks, purses or pockets of every student who walks through the door.

“We’re trying to keep this as a school instead of becoming invasive,” Brennan said.

Brennan said anonymous tips from students, teachers, faculty and community members are the key to uncovering drug use and sales in the school.

“Students and other people know before we do,” said Brennan. “That bridge, I have found, is the most important part of trying to get a school that is free of drugs.”

The first step in that is getting students to trust that whatever they say will remain completely confidential, Brennan said, which many students are starting to believe.

A large seminar held at the end of the last school year featuring a person who’d been incarcerated for drugs, addiction counselors, police and school administrators talking about drug use among youth was very poorly attended, Brennan said.

“We were kind of upset about the fact that we only got a few parents,” he said.

The climate in the school is swinging in favor of eliminating drugs on school grounds, Brennan said, and more and more people are speaking up when they see suspicious activity that may involve drugs.

“I think the biggest change is people are making the decision to not just say, ‘oh well, I can’t do anything about it.’ They’re deciding to make a stand. They want a drug-free school, and this is their way of handling it, and we’re there to back them up,” he said.

Pelham Police say OxyContin use on rise

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

Police arrested an 18-year-old Pelham man as part of an ongoing effort to halt the use and sale of prescription drugs, particularly OxyContin, in the community.

Krystopher Draper, 18, of Pelham was pulled over on Sherburne Road on Thursday, July 17, at around 2 p.m. by detectives investigating several individuals believed to be consuming and selling the drug, said Pelham police Sgt. Gary Fisher.

Draper, who also had a warrant out for stealing a check and cashing it in Pelham, has been charged with possession of OxyContin and possession of forged writings, both Class A felonies, and a misdemeanor count of drug possession in a motor vehicle.

Fisher said Draper had one OxyContin tablet on him at the time of his arrest. He added detectives watched Draper enter his vehicle and drive away before pulling him over, and already knew who he was. He could not say whether Draper was leaving his home.

According to Fisher, Draper stole a check from a Nashua business in November 2007 and cashed it at a Citizens Bank in Pelham. Officers investigating that case were able to get a photo of him, leading them to look into the OxyContin use.

Fisher said Draper’s arrest marks the third in a lengthy investigation into the drug’s continually growing use in the community. He added there would be more arrests forthcoming as the investigation reveals new individuals who may be involved with the drug. Police do not suspect a drug ring at this point, Fisher said.

“It’s a very prevalent drug. It’s easily obtained, and it’s highly abused,” Fisher said. “I think it’s becoming a drug of choice.”

OxyContin, often referred to as “the poor man’s heroine,” is a member of the opioid group of prescription drugs, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

OxyContin is a time-released form of the narcotic oxycodone, and is generally prescribed as a last resort for patients who are in severe pain every day. It is meant to be ingested as a whole tablet to get the time-released effect, but abusers of the drug typically chew up the tablet. Many also crush it up and snort it, or dissolve the powder in water and inject it.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, those who take OxyContin according to their doctor’s orders do not usually get any euphoric affect out of it, and can avoid becoming addicted to it because their pain absorbs most of that effect.

However, those who chew, snort, or mainline the drug to release the narcotic quicker and who have no pain to cure can become very addicted to the drug in a short amount of time.

Cocaine at Pelham High School raises concerns

Salem Editor — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:56:00 GMT

BY JIM DEVINE

A high school student’s arrest for cocaine possession charges prompted calm but concerned reactions from school officials and parents last week as police reported more related drug arrests would follow.

On Wednesday morning, Feb. 20, police arrested Emily Cover, 17, at Pelham High School before classes began after completing an investigation of an incident last September when school officials allegedly found she had cocaine during morning classes.

Following a police investigation and a wait of several months for state labs to verify that the substance was cocaine, police charged Cover with a Class B felony possession charge punishable with up to seven years in prison.

“It was a residue amount of cocaine indicating personal use,” said Pelham police Lt. Gary Fisher. “She’s not suspected in distribution, but we were able to gain information that may lead to more arrests.”

Fisher said the incident stands out from other drug arrests in school that involve lower- level recreational drugs.

“It’s not as prevalent as marijuana, but every so often we do run into it,” he said.

Pelham High School Principal Dorothy Mohr said the arrest should serve as a “wake-up call” for parents to talk to their children about drugs.

“I’m disappointed it was found and that a student was using it, but that’s one more student who will get the assistance she needs, and it’s a good wakeup call for her parents or any parent,” Mohr said.

Acknowledging that students sometimes face issues involving lower-level recreational drugs, Mohr said, “Cocaine is not one of them.”

Parents should be vigilant about seeing what their kids are doing, she said.

Parents and students reacted similarly but without much alarm or surprise that cocaine could appear in the small town’s high school.

“I believe it’s everywhere. It’s in Catholic schools,” said Dianna O’Connor, mother of a freshman student.

With the belief that the incident was isolated, O’Connor said it’s reassuring to hear that police and school officials are doing their part to keep schools safe from drugs.

“The police are excellent here, and the administrators here do an excellent job communicating and being open with students,” she said.

Talking with children about judgment and being open about drug issues is the best defense, according to Jennifer Dumdey. 45, who was not surprise by the incident.

“Hopefully being open about it and them knowing about it helps, but there’s really no guarantee,” said Dumdey, the mother of a sophomore student.

Sophomore Lindsey Viera said it’s easy to steer clear of bad crowds, but the news of the arrest wasn’t a surprise.

“I’ve heard things about drugs in school but that’s really it,” she said.

“I’m glad it’s not my daughter,” parent Dave Webster said while picking up his 15-year-old, Mariah, in front of the high school.

Acknowledging that drugs like cocaine could make their way anywhere, Webster said an open relationship with his daughter helps combat peer pressure leading to drug activity.

“She’s pretty well aware of the dangers. We try to be open about what’s out there,” he said.

“There’s always going to be someone with something in schools,” his daughter replied. “It’s a waste of time. It’s not worth it, and it gets you in trouble.”

School drug search policy may be revised

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:44:00 GMT

By Darrell Halen

The School Board may revise its policy on drug searches in Pelham schools after concerns were raised about the magnitude of the searches and disruptions caused to students.

During the board’s Wednesday, Jan. 16 meeting, School Board member Linda Mahoney cited the large number of law enforcement agencies that were used when a search was carried out in April at the high school and middle school.

“A little overkill and it wasn’t for anything they found specific,” Mahoney said. “It was scary for these kids. These kids didn’t know what was going on. And that’s what I don’t want to see happen again. It seems like we’re treating our kids guilty until proven innocent.”

Fourteen agencies, including the Pelham Police Department, carried out the searches. A bottle of vodka was found in the car of a 17-year-old boy who allowed administrators to search his car, and marijuana was discovered in the car of a 16-year-old boy after his father permitted a search.

The high school’s fire alarm sounded before the search began, sending students and employees outside.

Drugs searches are typically conducted every year in which dogs “hit” on places where drugs may be located.

Administrators have the right to search lockers. If a dog hits on a car, administrators ask the student for consent to search the vehicle. If the student or car owner refuses to give consent, the matter is turned over to police, according to Dorothy Mohr, school principal.

Dogs are not used to search students.

Mahoney said she is not blind that drugs may be in the high school but said other alternatives that provide a deterrence should be considered, such as having a police officer walk by lockers with a dog once a month.

Student representative Scott Cloutier said once the April search began, no one was concentrating on their school work that day. Instead, they were concentrating on the dogs they could see being used in the parking lot and were worrying if any of their belongings inside the school had been touched.

“To that magnitude, it was an interruption,” he said.

School Board member Eleanor Burton spoke in defense of the searches.

“I don’t think it hurts in this day and age,” she said. “I think we have to protect all the students. If it’s there, we need to find it. I don’t think it hurts to do it once in a while.”

School Board Chairman Bruce Couture said he believes several dogs are used to make the searches go quicker and because there’s a limit to how long each animal is effective.

“I see both sides of the argument, but I certainly think we should always keep ourselves open,” Couture said. “If something is brewing and they know about it and need that force to do it, then I think we should give ourselves that flexibility.”

Superintendent Frank Bass said he and Roxanne Wilson, the assistant superintendent, will review the policy and try to craft a proposed change that would address the concerns they heard during the meeting.

Eight arrested in crack sting

Salem Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:33:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

A Pelham woman is accused of manufacturing crack cocaine in her own home and selling it to customers from Pelham and surrounding communities.

Pelham police said their arrest of Priscilla Champagne, 50, of 14 Hobbs Road, and seven other people is the result of a two-month investigation into the sale, possession and manufacturing of cocaine and crack cocaine in town.

During a surveillance of Champagne’s home, police said, detectives identified several people whom they believed were taking part in drug transactions.

When carrying out a search warrant at Champagne’s home, officers seized a small quantity of cocaine and marijuana and seized several items they believe were used to manufacture cocaine.

Those items included spoons, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, tin foil and small tools, said Lt. Gary Fisher.

Champagne faces two counts of manufacturing crack cocaine, two counts of selling cocaine, sale of crack
cocaine, possession of cocaine, two counts of transporting cocaine and possession of marijuana.

“She’s a street dealer. She’s not moving large quantities but ... she had a clientele in Pelham and in Massachusetts,” Fisher said.

Police said they arrested several of Champagne’s alleged customers in the late evening of Wednesday, Aug. 22, and the early morning of Thursday, Aug. 23., as they left her home.

The following people were arrested: Ezequiel Nieves, 27, Lawrence, Mass., charged with sale of cocaine and resisting arrest. Fisher said police believe Nieves swallowed a quantity of cocaine when he was taken into custody.

Theresa Jutras, 36, Lowell, Mass., charged with possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, transporting crack cocaine, transporting marijuana, and operating with a suspended registration.

Richard Ryder, 53, Lowell, Mass., charged with possession of marijuana.

Peter Contraros, 43, Pelham, charged with driving after revocation.

Michael Desjardins, 36, Dracut, Mass., charged with possession of cocaine, transporting cocaine.

Robert Roy, 57, charged with possession of cocaine.

Donna Lyons, 35, charged with hindering apprehension. Fisher said Lyons gave false information as to who she is. Police believe she is wanted in Boston on warrants.

Police said they are continuing their investigation and expect to make additional arrests and seek more search warrants.

All the suspects will be arraigned Sept. 10 in Salem District Court.

Nine arrested in drug bust at Pelham house

Salem Editor — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:42:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Nine people, including a 47- year-old mother and her four sons, were arrested after police seized drugs, cash, weapons and other items from a Pelham house.

Police raided the 13 William Drive residence around 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, following a two-month long investigation into the sale of marijuana and Oxycontin in town.

During the investigation, the house was sometimes under surveillance.

Neighbors had complained to police about traffic at the house, said Sgt. Michael Pickles.

“Cars were coming and going all hours of the day, different hours of the night,” Pickles said.

“(Neighbors) noticed cars were stopping for a short time and leaving.”

Police executing a search warrant at the house seized a half-pound of marijuana with a street value of $1,500; 20 marijuana plants in different stages of growth; approximately $4,000 in cash; distribution items, such as plastic bags, scales and how-to manuals; bongs and pipes; prescription pills; pellet guns and a machete.

One of the sons, David Perry, 24, faces the most serious charges: three felony counts of sale of Oxycontin, possession of Oxycontin, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, manufacturing marijuana, and possession of marijuana.

His mother, Catherine Perry, 47, is charged with possession of marijuana. Two others sons, Robert Perry, 21, and Kevin Perry, 20, are each charged with possession of marijuana and transporting marijuana.

The fourth son, Paul Perry, 17, is charged with unlawful possession of prescription drugs. Jessica Fili, 22, 13 William Drive, is charged with possession of marijuana and manufacturing marijuana. Pickles described her as David Perry’s ex-fiancee, who broke off her engagement to Perry the day after being arrested.

The three others, who Pickles described as friends of the family who were frequently at the house, are: Young Kim, 21, of 78 Appleleaf Drive, who is charged with possession of marijuana; Richard Bedard, 24, of 8 Bedard Ave., who is charged with possession of Oxycontin with intent to distribute and possession of Oxycontin; and Derrick Perez, 20, 36 Hobbs Lane, who is charged with internal possession of alcohol, a violation.

David Perry was held in county jail on $20,000 cash bail. The others were released on personal recognizance bail and will be arraigned in Salem District Court on Jan. 22.

Police said that throughout their investigation, they confiscated approximately 25 80 mg tablets of Oxycontin, which has a street value of roughly $2,000.

As a result of the arrests, police said, the flow of Oxycontin – a powerful pain reliever that can be dangerously addictive when abused – in the Pelham area has likely been disrupted.

Pickles said he hopes young people will get the message that police are watching out for Oxycontin distribution.

“It’s amazing how much is going on with the pills and the younger people,” he said.