16 May ‘Most trusted drug runner’ in New Bedford’s Operation Ghost ordered held – News – southcoasttoday.com
NEW BEDFORD — The “most trusted” drug runner in a major fentanyl ring operating in Greater New Bedford was found dangerous and ordered held without bail.
David Luna, 37, of 124 Arlington St., Apartment 2N, was found dangerous and ordered held by Judge Douglas J. Darnbrough, after a pre-trial detention hearing Thursday in New Bedford District Court. Luna will now be held for the next four months at the Bristol County House of Correction, Dartmouth, awaiting trial.
No trial date was set and the case was continued until June 26 for a probable cause hearing in New Bedford District Court. He is charged with trafficking in fentanyl and conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl.
Luna was one of three drug distributors in the Orlando Badillo Drug Trafficking Organization, which was the target of a multi-jurisdictional police investigation called Operation Ghost, said prosecutor Steven Butts. The other distributors were Pedro Cruz, 38, of New Bedford and Kelly Rodrigues, 29, of New Bedford. Cruz and Rodrigues are both charged in the investigation.
Investigators learned the “inner workings” of the drug network through court-authorized wiretaps, the prosecutor said.
The criminal organization would sell “large qualities” or “fingers” of fentanyl to other dealers who would sell the drugs to users on the streets, he said. Each finger of fentanyl was 10 grams.
A finger would be sold for $390; a half finger (five grams) was $220; and a quarter finger (2.5 grams) was $120, the prosecutor said.
The organization was selling its product below the price of other competitors and it was considered “very potent,” and “well-liked” by the dealers who dealt directly with customers, he said.
The prosecutor said Badillo and Luna were involved in supplying a Taunton man, Joe Manuel Matias, 29, with 50 grams of fentanyl on April 19, according to Butts. Police intercepted a phone call from Matias to Badillo saying he would need “something,” and Badillo said he would put Luna in touch with him, according to court documents.
Police conducted surveillance of Luna’s Honda Pilot and saw Matias enter and leave the vehicle at the Wendy’s parking lot in Fairhaven a short while later. Matias then got into a black Kia Optima and drove away, court records say.
State police stopped the Kia about 6:35 p.m. on April 19 at Shaw’s Plaza in Dartmouth and found about 50 grams of fentanyl in Matias’ pants, court records say. Matias is charged with trafficking fentanyl.
Heroin is a dangerous drug and fentanyl is “30 times more dangerous than heroin,” the prosecutor said.
Defense attorney John Calcagni argued that Luna be released on $10,000 bail with a GPS device. Luna was attending a brother’s funeral in Hartford, Ct., when police conducted their first raids in Operation Ghost on April 30. He returned to New Bedford the next day and learned police had searched his apartment.
“That would have been his opportunity to pack his bags and head out of town,” Calcagni said of his client. However, Luna contacted police and made plans to surrender to authorities.
“That speaks volume to his character,” the attorney said.
Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT.
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