New Bedford couple charged with fentanyl trafficking – News – southcoasttoday.com

NEW BEDFORD — Two city residents are being held without bail after their arrest Wednesday night on fentanyl trafficking charges, court records say.

Nicholas A. Silva, 32, and Jillian E. Temple, 33, both of 33 Sherman St., Apartment 1, were ordered held without bail at the Bristol County House of Correction by Judge Paul G. Pino for dangerousness hearings at the request of Bristol County prosecutors, according to records in New Bedford District Court.

Silva’s dangerousness hearing is scheduled for May 31 in New Bedford District Court, records say. No date has been set for Temple’s dangerousness hearing. She is due back in district court on May 28 to select a date.

Silva is accused of running a fentanyl delivery service from his apartment at 33 Sherman St. in the city’s South End, court records say. Silva and Temple are boyfriend and girlfriend.

Members of the New Bedford Police Department’s narcotics unit, the Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau, raided the apartment about 7 p.m. Wednesday with a search warrant obtained from New Bedford District Court, records say.

As detectives made entry, they found Silva in the bathroom flushing the toilet and police suspected he may be destroying evidence, court records. Temple was was seated on the bed.

Silva denied there were any drugs in the apartment, court records state. “No, the only thing that might be here is personal use for Jillian,” he told police, according to court documents.

Detectives searched the apartment and found 117 wax paper folds of fentanyl, weighing 8.0 grams; four plastic bags of fentanyl, weighing 16.5 grams; 191 Suboxone film strips; 60 tabs of methadone; 31 tabs of clonazepam; two tabs of buprenorphine hydrochloride which were sent for destruction; and $689 in cash that was seized as drug proceeds.

They are both charged with trafficking fentanyl more than 10 grams; and two counts of possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance; possession with intent to distribute a Class E substance; and conspiracy to violate the drug laws, according to court documents.

Silva is also charged with possession with intent to distribute a Class A substance, subsequent offense, court records say. He has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin out of Fall River District Court on June 21, 2018.

Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT.