Published in the December 20, 2019 edition.
WAKEFIELD — A 32-year-old Lynn man was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute after he sold a quantity of the drug to undercover officers in a parking lot on North Avenue at about 1:30 yesterday afternoon.
The arrest of Manuel Jose Gonzalez of 72 Keslar Ave. in Lynn was the culmination of a month long investigation by Wakefield Police, Lynn Police and members of the Middlesex County Regional Drug Task Force during which numerous drug buys were made by undercover officers.
After securing search warrants for Gonzalez’s home and motor vehicle, undercover officers arranged to meet Gonzalez in a parking lot on North Avenue yesterday afternoon to purchase six bags of crack cocaine for $200 each. After the purchase was made, the officers identified themselves as police and placed Gonzalez under arrest.
During a search of Gonzalez, police found five more baggies of crack cocaine as well as $980 in cash in various pockets.
Simultaneous with the Wakefield operation, Lynn Police executed the search warrant of Gonzalez’s Lynn home, where 494 grams of cocaine were seized (estimated street value of $75,000) along with $198,000 in cash.
Gonzalez was scheduled to be arraigned today in Malden District Court.
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At about 10 a.m. yesterday, police took a report from a man who said that he was fired and then threatened by his former boss after he accidentally opened a piece of his employer’s mail. Police also spoke to the owner of the Princess Street business who confirmed firing the employee but denied making any threats. Both individuals told police that the planned to take out harassment protection orders against each other.
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At about 2:45 yesterday afternoon, a Renwick Road man walked into the police station to report an apparent case of fraud. The man said the he was having trouble with his iPhone and found a support website that he believed was legitimate. He was told to download an app that allowed access to his phone. He was then instructed to purchase $1,200 in eBay gift cards to pay for the fix. By the time the man realized it was likely a scam, most of the cards had been converted to cash, police said.
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At about 4 p.m., yesterday, an employee of the Quick & Clean Car Wash on Main Street turned in to police a debit card and a tool that had been left behind by customers. The debit card was returned to its owner and the tool was placed in property storage in case it is claimed.
