EPPD Vice cops continue crackdown on heroin, fentanyl dealings
But opioid epidemic remains vexing to law enforcement officials
EAST PROVIDENCE — One can hardly pick up a newspaper or a magazine or peruse the internet without seeing a blaring headline about the latest tragic reference to the opioid crisis currently enveloping the county, it’s become that significant an issue nationally.
And so it is that locally, the East Providence Police Department continues to do its part to assist in interdiction efforts in the city and to a larger extent both state-wide and regionally.
The EPPD Vice Division, led by Detective Sergeant Diogo Mello, recently completed its latest undercover effort, which aided in the arrest of an aspiring rap music artist who doubled as a heroin dealer. Michael Persaud, known in the rap community as “Montana Millz,” was one of six people taken into custody on various drug charges.
“Here’s our mindset with this heroin epidemic,” Sgt. Mello explained. “In 2015 we had over 40 overdoes. In 2016 it dropped, but our CIs are telling us they (addicts and associates) have a bag full of Narcan (Naloxone), so people are still ODing all the time. But the only time they call us is when they hit them (with Narcan) two or three times and they don’t wake up. That’s when they call rescue.
“So what we did do instead of focusing on the addicts, we focused on the dealers, like ‘Millz.’ We have this heroin coming into the city. We have all these people addicted to heroin and fentanyl, so what do we do about? Let’s chop the head. Let’s go after the dealers. If we can disrupt them, we slow them down and maybe save some lives. That’s why with ‘Millz,’ even though his stash houses weren’t in East Providence, he was still dealing here. And if you’re willing to come here and sell, we’re going to lock you up. And if we know the stash location, we’re going to take that out, too.
Mr. Persaud was actually arrested twice in the last several months. He was first detained by law enforcement in Pennsylvania back in November of 2016 when along with whom was described as his girlfriend he was charged with trafficking heroin and fentanyl. The pair was held on bail, which was later reduced and met, allowing both back on the streets.
In May of this year, however, in concert with a continued investigation, Mr. Persaud was again arrested on similar trafficking of heroin/fentanyl charges, this time while working in a recording studio in New Jersey. He is currently being held without bail.
Those involved in the Persaud syndicate are facing multiple charges for delivery and gun possession. When arrested, they were in possession of some 900 grams of heroin/fentanyl with a street value of approximately $88,000.
“He’s responsible for supplying heroin throughout Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts,” Sgt. Mello said of Mr. Persaud, whose song titles include like “Sell Drugz,” “Gun Play” and “Armed and Ready.” “We received information he may have customers here in East Providence, so we decided to pursue him. We’ve been working the case for nearly a year, hundreds of man hours. To be honest, all we do is heroin and fentanyl at this point. We still track cocaine, especially ‘crack’ cocaine, because those cases tend to be more violent. But the heroin/fentanyl is all consuming.”
The case against Mr. Persaud gained traction last fall. Upon gathering enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, city officers and others from the area made arrests at a Johnston residence. Officers located and seized 241 grams of heroin/fentanyl with an estimated street value of $24,000 as well as an AK-47 automatic weapon and a loaded 357 handgun. But Mr. Persaud was not at the scene.
In the spring, law enforcement discovered another of Mr. Persaud’s heroin/fentanyl stashes in Providence, this time seizing 649 grams of heroin/fentanyl with an approximate street value of $64,000 and arresting three others with ties to the organization.
Of the increased coordination between area and regional police departments on opioid trafficking, Sgt. Mello said, “There has to be. The reality is that there has to be more communication between agencies to get a handle on this. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. If you stay in your own little sandbox, say I’m in East Providence, I’m in Providence, I’m in Johnston, I’m in Seekonk, it isn’t going to work. We have to work together as a team. “
Considering all of the interdiction, one would think the distribution ring might have been disrupted, that law enforcement could take a breath and consider the situation, for the time being, manageable. The unfortunate reality is, however, it is not. Another person with direct or indirect ties to dealers is seemingly at the ready to fill the gap.
“With this ‘Millz’ case we did two sets of arrests, got two search warrants based on investigating for almost a year. We seized over a kilo of heroin, guns, everything. And we think everything is finally O.K. Maybe other organizations will try to scoop up those customers, but they’re still disrupted. So those customers are still scrambling to find somebody. But, no, somebody else in that (Persaud) organization steps up, whether it be a brother or a cousin. Someone steps up and starts selling. It’s frustrating and it’s sad. It really is,” Sgt. Mello said.
The epidemic continues to vex Sgt. Mello and his peers especially because after leveling off somewhat from 2015 figures overdoses in the city are up comparative to last year. In fact, halfway through 2017 reported ODs have already matched the total for all of 2016. Sgt. Mello said the numbers are stark and it seems like there’s no end to this cynical cycle. Statistics show most heroin addicts are in and out of rehabilitation numerous times, the success rate of which is not very good. The average heroin user, he said, dies at or around 50-years-old. And the epidemic makes no distinction for age, race, ethnicity, education, social or economic class.
“We talk to almost everyone we arrest. We talk to these people. We spend hours with them because they’re a wealth of information,” Sgt. Mello explained. “And a lot of times it started with an accident or an injury or surgery and maybe the doctor over-prescribed. And then they have that gene, that gene that gets them addicted. So where someone can take a Vicodin for a back injury and they’re fine, another person takes it for the same injury and they become addicted. And Vicodin is expensive so they go to false scripts or doctor shopping and then it gets to a point when you can’t do it anymore. So now they’re going to heroin. It’s cheaper and easier to get.”
Opioid addicts have turned to heroin and fentanyl, inexpensive, more readily accessible substitutes for prescribed medication, for the better part of two decades despite the best efforts of police as well as the medical and rehabilitation community. The bottom line, it appears, is there is ample profit to be made from dealing heroin and fentanyl because of the significant demand. At some level, law enforcement is left at a loss, even a veteran Vice cop like Sgt. Mello.
“We’re going to continue to disrupt these drug trafficking organizations or there sources. And if people are going to sell drugs in this city, we’re going to keep on top of them, try to disrupt them,” he said. “If we disrupt them, we slow them down and save lives. If we save four or five lives then we saved four or five lives. But, honestly, I don’t know what the end game is. But if there is money to be made and there are addicts our there, there’s only so much we can do.”
