Accused heroin dealer arrested at Royal Crest apartments | News

NORTH ANDOVER — Police say a 32-year-old man they described as a "drug wholesaler" is suspected of selling heroin and oxycodone pills from his Royal Crest Drive apartment to drug dealers in Lawrence.

A call to the Drug Enforcement Administration Tipline brought federal agents and local police to the apartment of Guarionex Pratts, 32, 26 Royal Crest Drive, Apt. 6, Wednesday night.

Police said Pratts consented to a search of the apartment and during the search they found a 2.2 pounds of heroin, several hundred oxycodone pills and $5,000 cash.

Investigators also found drug packaging materials and some of the heroin already packaged for street sales.

The heroin had a street value of $150,000 and the 10 milligram dose oxycodone pills had a street value of about $2,000, police said.

Acting Police Chief Paul Gallagher said calls from neighbors raised the possibility of a meth lab in the apartment because of the strong odor coming from it.

But when investigators searched, they found the smell was actually coming from cutting agents used to package the heroin.

Gallagher said he has been working with Royal Crest management in an effort to start a Neighborhood Watch program.

"This shows the need for it," Gallagher said.

Pratts was charged with trafficking heroin over 500 grams and trafficking oxycodone over 28 grams.

The state mandantory minimum sentence for the heroin charge is 15 years

He is also facing the possibility of federal charges, police said.

Gallagher said police are also working with the DEA and Department of Homeland Security to verify Pratts identity.

"We believe that may be an alias," he said of the name Pratts gave police.

The arrest Wednesday night marks the second time in 17 months that investigators have seized large quantities of drugs from the same Royal Crest Drive apartment building.

On Oct. 9, 2009 investigators raided an apartment in the same building and came away with 54 kilograms of cocaine packaged in brick form, just three hours after it was delivered.

Rancis Osiris Santana, 31, was arrested in his apartment, along with six of his alleged customers.

Santana was allegedly getting his cocaine from La Familia, a violent Mexican drug gang based in southwestern Mexico.

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