LEOMINSTER — On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, the Leominster District Court granted police a search warrant authorizing the search of Anthony E. Flores Rivera at his residence, to locate and seize heroin-fentanyl and items related to the distribution of heroin-fentanyl.
According to the Leominster Police Department’s Statement of Facts, the search warrant was based on probable cause developed during an investigation in which Rivera sold heroin-fentanyl to two confidential sources on three separate occasions from his Hoover Street residence.
Anthony E. Flores Rivera, 33, is a resident of 17 Hoover Street, Leominster. According to police, he’s unmarried, was born in Cambridge, MA, and works as a loader for UPS in Chelmsford.
On Jan. 27, 2024, at approximately 12:45 p.m., members of the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Federal Drug Task Force and North Worcester County Drug Task Force executed the search warrant.
From Rivera’s residence, law enforcement officers located and seized the following:
- 20.83 grams (gross weight) of a white chunky substance, believed to be crack cocaine in Rivera’s bedroom located in the basement
- 161.39 grams total gross weight of heroin-fentanyl (a Class A substance)
- The Breakdown of the heroin found is as follows:
- 15.82 grams (gross weight) of a beige powdery substance, believed to be heroin-fentanyl in the basement hallway which Rivera had control of25.15 grams (gross weight) of a brown powdery substance, believed to be heroin-fentanyl in the basement hallway which Rivera had control of
- 55.88 grams (gross weight) of a brown powdery substance, believed to be heroin-fentanyl in the basement hallway Rivera had control of
- 64.54 grams (gross weight) of a beige powdery substance, believed to be heroin-fentanyl in glove compartment of motor vehicle that Rivera arrived in as the front seat passenger
- The Breakdown of the heroin found is as follows:
- 1 scale in Rivera’s bedroom
- 2 boxes of sandwich bags in Rivera’s bedroom. (According to police, drug dealers tend to use plastic baggies to package drugs and plastic baggies are rarely kept in non-traditional locations in the residence such as bedrooms, living areas, and bathrooms.)
Following the search, Rivera was arrested and transported to the Leominster Police Department.
Rivera was charged with the following:
- Trafficking of Class A Drug (105.51 grams of Heroin-Fentanyl) 100 Grams or More, Less than 200 Grams
- Possession with Intent to Distribute of a Class A Drug (105.51 grams of Heroin-Fentanyl)
- Trafficking of Class B Drug (20.83 grams of Crack-Cocaine)
- Possession with Intent to Distribute of Class B Drug (20.83 grams of Crack-Cocaine)
Rivera’s bail was set at $100,040 cash.
He was held on bail until his arraignment in Leominster District Court on Jan. 29, 2024.
During his arraignment, the Commonwealth filed a motion to revoke bail and another motion to detain Rivera until a dangerousness hearing is held. Judge Mark Noonan took no action on the motions, but on Feb. 1, 2024, the motion to revoke bail was allowed by Judge Andrew Abdella, who also held a dangerousness hearing on that date. During his dangerousness hearing, Rivera was determined to be dangerous and will be held without bail until May 31, 2024.
Rivera is scheduled to appear in court again via video on March 1, 2024.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from January, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
