Det. Lt. David Ragazzini and Det. Roxann Bradley count some of the heroin packets seized by city detectives in two unrelated raids Friday. (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
WESTFIELD – More than 500 packets of heroin were seized and four persons were arrested Friday when city detectives served warrants to bring two unrelated narcotics investigations to completion.
Det. Sgt. Stephen K. Dickinson reports that an investigation led by Det. Timothy Grady resulted in the issuance of a warrant and on Friday afternoon detectives set up surveillance in the area of the Van Deusen Apartments on Arnold Street, observing one of the suspects, Jason M. Gibney, 31, of 106 N. Lake Ave., Southwick, apparently making drug deals on the street.
The detectives served the warrant at apartment 402 of the apartment building where they found Gibney with two residents, Jason D. Petrucelli, 34, and Thaddeus J. Morin, 32.
Morin’s address of record is 26 W. Glen Drive but detectives report that he lives at the Van Deusen apartments with Petrucelli.
When the detectives searched the apartment they found a large number of packets of heroin packaged for sale, as well as more than $1,800 in cash, a realistic appearing BB gun and a number of registration plates.
The packets of heroin were in bundles of ten but, when Det. Lt. David Ragazzini counted them later, he found that two were short.
“Hey, they’re screwing them” he said, “these two (bundles) only have nine (packets).”
However, he said that the 298 packets seized make the seizure “the biggest one we’ve done in the last five years.”
Dickinson said that, to his knowledge, the seizure is the biggest one in at least ten years and said that it is probably the largest amount of heroin ever seized in the city since the drug was much less prevalent ten years ago.
The average weight of the heroin in each packet, Dickinson said, was .033 grams.
Each packet was stamped, some with the word “Passion” and the remainder with the word “Coca Cola”.
Gibney and Petrucelli were each arrested for possession of a Class A drug with intent to distribute.
Morin was found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant and was also arrested.
Almost all the city’s detectives were involved in the raid and barely had time to complete the task of counting and securing the evidence before they went out again to serve another warrant resulting from another case investigated by Grady.
In the second case, detectives set up surveillance at a Conner Avenue address and waited for the suspect to return home.
When that suspect, Mark A. Nikiel, 38, of 8 Conner Ave., returned home at 6:21 p.m. the detectives descended on him and escorted him into his residence where family members were present.
Nikiel was advised of his Miranda protection against self incrimination and he and the other family members present were provided the opportunity to read the warrant.
Grady reports that the search revealed 53 packets of heroin on Nikiel’s person and said an additional 158 packets were found in his bedroom.
He reports that the heroin packets found were stamped with the word “Passion”.
In addition to the heroin, Grady report that a safe and $224 in cash was seized.
Nikiel was arrested for possession of a Class A drug.
He and the suspects arrested earlier are expected to be arraigned in Westfield District Court on Monday.
