New Bedford drug suspect ordered held – News – southcoasttoday.com

Curt Brown @CurtBrown_SCT

NEW BEDFORD — A city man charged with running a cocaine delivery service was ordered held without bail as he awaits trial on drug trafficking charges, court records say.

Miguel A. Martinez, 40, of 472 Cottage St. was found dangerous and ordered held without bail for 120 days by Judge Margaret R. Guzman after a pre-trial detention hearing Thursday in New Bedford District Court, according to court records. The case was continued until May 16 for a probable cause hearing.

The judge said in her findings that Martinez is charged with serious drug offenses that involve a potential mandatory minimum sentence, court documents indicate. She added there is an allegation involving a significant amount of fentanyl and Martinez has being involved in criminal activity, including convictions for manslaughter and physical assault.

Martinez is charged with trafficking cocaine 18 grams or more, trafficking fentanyl more than 10 grams and possession with intent to distribute Suboxone, court records say.

He was arrested April 3 when detectives with the New Bedford Police Department’s narcotics division, Organized Crime Intelligence Bureau, raided his residence with a search warrant, court records say. The arrest was Martinez’s third and his second that is drug-related in the past three months, according to Lt. Nathaniel Rodriguez, a NBPD spokesman.

In a safe at 472 Cottage St., police found two plastic bags of cocaine, weighing 32.9 grams; three plastic bags of fentanyl, weighing 51.1 grams; 20 Suboxone strips; 27 Diazepam; a digital scale; and sandwich bags, court records say. Police also found bags with the corners cut off, packaging materials and $798 in cash that was seized.

Martinez first said there were no drugs in his Cottage Street home and it is his girlfriend’s home and he does not live them, court records say. When police asked for his girlfriend’s name, saying they intended to charge her, he admitted the drugs were his.

Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT.