Fitness model Samantha Baker charged in drug bust!
After months of investigating, Braintree police and state troopers busted a marijuana distribution network on Saturday night, arresting four people, including a man residing at 80 East Division Street who allegedly made frequent trips to California to buy drugs that he then shipped east through the U.S. Postal Service.
Police allege that the individuals arrested would take the marijuana from various post offices in Massachusetts, transport it to Braintree and then parcel it out to local drug dealers.
"Braintree detectives, working with state troopers assigned to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey???s drug unit and troopers assigned to Logan Airport, served the warrant at approximately 6:30 p.m. [Saturday], after watching Wesley P. Dikkes, 33, of Bellingham, pick up a quantity of marijuana that had been delivered to a Walpole UPS store," Deputy Chief Russell Jenkins said in a press release. "Dikkes then transported the marijuana to the East Division Street home of Vincent J. Papagno, 41, who gave a Quincy address when arrested."
Jenkins said Papagno was the focus of the investigation, and that his trips to Los Angeles were to purchase large quanities of marijuana and ship them back to Massachusetts. "When police arrived at Papagno???s home, they found Dikkes in a basement area that appeared to be set up for drug packaging," he said.
Officers found, among other items, scales, a money counter, 61 empty one-pound marijuana packages and shipping boxes. They also confiscated more than $7,000 in cash, 10 pounds of marijuana, steroids and prescription pills. Samantha Baker, 33, of Weymouth and Patrick Ryan, 45, of Quincy, were both at the East Division Street home on Saturday as well, and Baker was charged with possession of Oxycodone in addition to other drug charges.
Ryan and Baker were part of the ring, Jenkins said, and Baker was at the home when some of the shipments were made and arrived Saturday just before detectives.
"Papagno, Dikkes, Baker and Ryan were all placed under arrest and charged with conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act," Jenkins said.
"Papagno was also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of steroids with intent to distribute, possession of Valium and Hydrocodone with intent to distribute, possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute and possession of over 300 unidentified pills. Dikkes was additionally charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of Oxycodone pills."
On Monday morning, four more packages were discovered by police that had been mailed to Dorchester and Bellingham.
"All four packages were seized by police and investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service, who worked closely with Braintree detectives," Jenkins said. "Police are seeking search warrants to search the packages after 'Lucky,' a Braintree Police Labrador specially trained to detect narcotics, indicated to the odor of narcotics."
After months of investigating, Braintree police and state troopers busted a marijuana distribution network on Saturday night, arresting four people, including a man residing at 80 East Division Street who allegedly made frequent trips to California to buy drugs that he then shipped east through the U.S. Postal Service.
Police allege that the individuals arrested would take the marijuana from various post offices in Massachusetts, transport it to Braintree and then parcel it out to local drug dealers.
"Braintree detectives, working with state troopers assigned to Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey???s drug unit and troopers assigned to Logan Airport, served the warrant at approximately 6:30 p.m. [Saturday], after watching Wesley P. Dikkes, 33, of Bellingham, pick up a quantity of marijuana that had been delivered to a Walpole UPS store," Deputy Chief Russell Jenkins said in a press release. "Dikkes then transported the marijuana to the East Division Street home of Vincent J. Papagno, 41, who gave a Quincy address when arrested."
Jenkins said Papagno was the focus of the investigation, and that his trips to Los Angeles were to purchase large quanities of marijuana and ship them back to Massachusetts. "When police arrived at Papagno???s home, they found Dikkes in a basement area that appeared to be set up for drug packaging," he said.
Officers found, among other items, scales, a money counter, 61 empty one-pound marijuana packages and shipping boxes. They also confiscated more than $7,000 in cash, 10 pounds of marijuana, steroids and prescription pills. Samantha Baker, 33, of Weymouth and Patrick Ryan, 45, of Quincy, were both at the East Division Street home on Saturday as well, and Baker was charged with possession of Oxycodone in addition to other drug charges.
Ryan and Baker were part of the ring, Jenkins said, and Baker was at the home when some of the shipments were made and arrived Saturday just before detectives.
"Papagno, Dikkes, Baker and Ryan were all placed under arrest and charged with conspiracy to violate the Controlled Substances Act," Jenkins said.
"Papagno was also charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of steroids with intent to distribute, possession of Valium and Hydrocodone with intent to distribute, possession of Oxycodone with intent to distribute and possession of over 300 unidentified pills. Dikkes was additionally charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of Oxycodone pills."
On Monday morning, four more packages were discovered by police that had been mailed to Dorchester and Bellingham.
"All four packages were seized by police and investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service, who worked closely with Braintree detectives," Jenkins said. "Police are seeking search warrants to search the packages after 'Lucky,' a Braintree Police Labrador specially trained to detect narcotics, indicated to the odor of narcotics."
