WESTFIELD – A city man who was arrested in April, 2012, for a variety of drug distribution charges was released Feb. 14 but, 11 days later, a routine traffic stop sent him back to jail when he was found to be in possession of about a half a pound of “magic” mushrooms which he said he was going to sell.
He was again arrested.
Christopher C. Wert, 26, of 593 Southwick Road, had been arrested April 14, 2012, when city detectives executed a warrant garnered by an investigation which included the controlled purchase of narcotics from Wert.
Det. Timothy Grady reports that, when the warrant was executed, Wert said that he had pills in his bedroom and then went on to say that he also had about an ounce of marijuana and an ounce of mushrooms.
Grady found “numerous white, round pills” which Wert identified as “ecstasy” a Class B drug.
Also found were “numerous individual baggies” containing “a brownish chopped chunk matter” which he determined to be mushrooms, a Class C drug due to their psilocybin content, as well as a quantity of “packaged green leaf” which later tested positive for marijuana, a Class D drug.
In addition, he was found to be in possession of more than $1,000 in cash which included pre-recorded notes which had been used for the controlled purchase of narcotics from Wert.
Wert was arrested for possession of Class B, C and D drugs with intent to distribute and was subsequently released on his personal recognizance.
At his arraignment April 17 he was ordered to remain dug and alcohol free and to be subject random periodic testing.
Wert remained at liberty until June 22 when the probation department reported he had been tested and evidence of marijuana use was found.
At that same time, the charge relative to the pills Wert had said were ecstasy, a synthetic drug with amphetamine-like and hallucinogenic properties, were not prosecuted because the pills had been tested and had not been found to be narcotics.
Wert was held without right to bail until a July 20 hearing when his attorney, with consent of the prosecuting assistant district attorney, secured his release on $1,000 personal surety in time for his grandfather’s funeral services.
Wert did not again come to the attention of law enforcement personnel until Dec. 17 when the probation department reported that testing again indicated use of narcotics, this time cocaine.
The defense protested saying the test must be a mistake and Wert was retested – with the same result.
He was again held without right to bail until Feb. 14 when he was again released on $1,000 personal surety with the previous conditions.
But, 11 days later, Officer Richard Mazza reports a routine check of a vehicle seen operating Mill Street revealed that the owner’s license had been suspended and he stopped the car.
Wert was found to be the owner and operator and, before his vehicle was towed, a required pre-tow inventory of the car revealed him to be in possession of a plastic bag containing a little more than a half pound of psilocybin mushrooms.
Mazza reports “Christopher stated that he was on his way to sell the mushrooms” and Wert was again arrested.
He was bailed out of police custody by a relative after his arrest for the new charge of possession of a Class C drug with intent to distribute and, at his arraignment the next day in Westfield District Court, bail was set at $1,000.
However, the bail on the new charge is immaterial as the bail arrangement on his previous charges was revoked because of the new offense and he is again being held without right to bail pending a March 26 hearing.
