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SOMERVILLE – Somerville police arrested Karl Maurice, an alleged crack dealer operating out of an apartment on Canal Lane, after an investigation sparked by a confidential informant. The informant helped police gather the necessary intelligence to obtain a search warrant, which was issued by the Somerville District Court on January 6, 2023.
According to police, Maurice aka “Malaki,” 48, is a single, unemployed, permanent resident of 220 Broadway Street, Arlington. Maurice was born in New York City.
The search warrant permitted police to search the residence of 10 Canal Lane #1006, “the person of Karl Maurice,” and “any and all persons present, inside of 10 Canal Lane #1006.”
According to the narrative of Somerville Police Officer Jason Costa, on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 7:45 p.m., Somerville police officers and detectives entered the “common hallway” of 10 Canal Street.
“As we entered the building, detectives heard a door open on the second floor, at this point Detective [Fernando] Cicerone looked over and noticed the door quickly close to apartment #1006 and within seconds of that door closing, a male, later identified as Vladmir Pierre (DOB 5/09/1960 [62 years old]) walked down the stairs where he quickly exited the building,” wrote Officer Costa in his Narrative for the incident.
Officer Costa said that Pierre was approached by two detectives so they could conduct a “threshold inquiry.” Once Pierre was stopped, Officer Costa and three other responding officers, approached the closed door of apartment #1006.
“I began to knock on the door,” wrote Officer Costa in his Narrative. “Shortly after, we heard a female from inside the apartment say ‘who is it?’ At this point, I identified myself as police. The door to the apartment was then opened and we were met by [a 48-year-old female resident]. We advised her we had a search warrant and entered the apartment.”
As soon as he entered the apartment, Officer Costa said he saw Karl Maurice “peek his head out of the last room on the hallway on the right side.”
(Courtesy Somerville Police Department)
Along with Det. Cicerone, Office Costa went to Maurice’s room and opened the door, where they found Maurice laying on a mattress that was on the floor.
“Maurice, who is known to carry firearms, was shortly placed in handcuffs for safety,” explained Officer Costa in his Narrative. “At this point, I escorted Maurice to the kitchen area and pat frisked him. I read Maurice his Miranda warnings from a card I keep on my person with Officer Thomas Lambert present. I also advised him of the search warrant I had for his body and for the apartment. I would note that I provided Maurice with a copy of the search warrant.”
While Officer Costa spoke with Maurice, Detective Cicerone went to “speak with” Pierre.
Det. Cicerone began by pat frisking Pierre, during which time he found eight plastic baggies of crack cocaine inside Pierre’s right front pants pocket. Det. Cicerone informed Officer Costa of his findings.
“I then walked over to Pierre to speak with him,” wrote Officer Costa in his Narrative. “After a short conversation, Pierre advised me that he just purchased the eight baggies of crack cocaine from Karl Maurice for sixty dollars. Pierre was shortly after advised and sent on his way. I will note that the large amount of crack cocaine found on Vladmir Pierre is consistent with someone who will possess with the intent to distribute them.”
According to Officer Costa, there were two other individuals in Maurice’s apartment, a 50-year-old man who only spoke Portuguese and a 36-year-old woman from Waltham. The woman said she was just a visitor in the apartment, while the man said he lived in one of the bedrooms in the apartment.
When Officer Costa asked the man if he had access to Maurice’s bedroom, he said no one ever went into Maurice’s room aside from Maurice. This was confirmed by the female resident who initially opened the door to police. The woman added that Maurice had only been living in the apartment for a “few months.”
Officer Costa and Det. Cicerone then conducted a search of Maurice’s room.
On the floor next the mattress police saw Maurice laying on, the officers found 26 grams of crack, a digital scale with white residue on it, and a baby food jar with white residue inside of it. Also near the bed, police found a black Under Armour backpack, inside of which were two bags of powdered cocaine, together weighing 28 grams, and $1,646 cash. A pill bottle containing an “unknown powder substance” was also seized from Maurice’s bedroom. On the living room table, police seized a TCL cell phone belonging to Maurice. In a jewelry case inside the living room table, police found one plastic baggie full of crack. On Maurice’s person, police found $130 cash in his front left pants pocket.
Maurice was arrested and charged with two counts of Trafficking in Over 14 Grams of Cocaine, Distribute Class B Drug (Subsequent Offense), and Possess to Distribute Class B.
Maurice’s bail was set at $500.
After posting bail, Maurice failed to appear for his arraignment in Somerville District Court scheduled for Jan. 9. A warrant was issued for Maurice as a result.
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Disclaimer 2: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from January (you’re an a$$hole that doesn’t understand my business model, just kidding🃏), that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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