Police seize crack cocaine, fentanyl, and cash during drug raid at Athol home; three charged

ATHOL — On Thursday, April 24, 2025, following an investigation into suspected crack cocaine sales by Athol resident Scott Berry, Orange Police Detective Travis Rushford obtained a search warrant from Orange District Court for Berry’s residence and cell phone.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Statement of Facts of Detective Rushford and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

“The search warrant for the residence granted daytime execution as well as authorization to search all persons present within the residence,” Det. Rushford said.

According to police, Scott A. Berry, 47, is a resident of 722 Partridgeville Road, Athol, MA.

At approximately 2:10 p.m. on May 1, 2025, a member of the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force, along with officers from the Athol and Orange Police Departments, executed the search warrant at 722 Partridgeville Road.

“As investigators approached the residence, a female, later identified as Stacey Caldwell (DOB: [redacted]; she’s 51-years-old), who is known to reside there, was observed driving down the driveway and investigators stopped her,” Det. Rushford said. “Another team of investigators approached the residence and observed the front door to be wide open. I entered the threshold of the doorway and announced our presence loudly and that we had a search warrant.”

According to Detective Rushford, Berry was seen exiting the porch door and was secured in handcuffs without incident. In addition to residents Caldwell and Berry, eight other individuals were subsequently located inside the residence or elsewhere on the property.

“All subjects were detained and the search warrant was explained to all,” Det. Rushford said. “They were all read their Miranda warnings which they understood. A copy of the search warrant was later left attached to the refrigerator in the kitchen.”

The officer then conducted searches of all individuals and the residence.

“A search of Berry’s person yielded approximately $1,022.00, a wallet with cards containing his name, and multiple keys,” Det. Rushford. “I asked Berry about the large amount of cash in his pocket, to which he stated he obtained from his tax return. Later, in the residence, investigators located a black bag right outside of a bedroom (later identified as Berry’s) containing a small cylinder with a locking cover. One of the keys removed from Berry’s person fit into this lock and opened the cylinder. Within the cylinder, approximately 38.25 grams of suspected crack cocaine and powder cocaine were located. A further search of the black bag yielded a small black box that contained a hidden compartment. Within this hidden compartment, approximately 2.4 grams of purple powder suspected to be fentanyl was located as well as approximately 1.1 grams of suspected crack cocaine. Also within the black bag was a working digital scale/spoon covered in a white powder, as well as plastic baggies consistent with what is used to package narcotics for sale.”

Det. Rushford said that prior to searching the residence, he asked Berry where his bedroom was located.

“He told me that it was in the living room, which now appeared to have a makeshift wall and door turning it into a closed-off room,” Det. Rushford said. “A later search of this yielded approximately 3.93 grams of suspected crack cocaine, approximately 1.95 grams of suspected fentanyl, and a small amount of suspected gabapentin prescription pills.”

Detective Rushford stated that plastic sandwich bags missing one or two corners—known as “dealer blowouts”—were found in Berry’s bedroom, indicating drug distribution.

Detective Rushford stated that a search of Justin Dodge, 36, who was detained inside the residence during the execution of the search warrant, yielded a cell phone with a clear case. Inside the case, officers found a folded piece of white paper containing a small amount of purple powder suspected to be fentanyl.

Detective Rushford stated that prior to opening the folded paper, Athol Police Officer Paul Forand asked Dodge what was inside. Dodge replied that it was narcotics and asked if he could dispose of it, to which Officer Forand said he could not.

“In later speaking with Dodge about this, he jokingly asked me if I, ‘left it there’ for him,” Det. Rushford said. “I asked him, ‘What, the dope?’ and he replied, ‘Yes.’ He was informed that I did not leave it there, and that he would be summonsed to court at a later date, which he understood.”

Detective Rushford stated that a search of Stacey Caldwell’s bedroom, located within the residence, resulted in the discovery of a small jar containing suspected gabapentin and a small amount of suspected crack cocaine.

“Caldwell admitted to possessing these suspected narcotics and was advised she would be summonsed to court at a later date which she understood,” Det. Rushford said.

Berry was arrested and charged with the following:

1. Cocaine, Trafficking in, 36 grams or More, Less than 100 grams
2. Distribute Class A Drug, Subsequent Offense (heroin/fentanyl)
3. Possess Class E Drug (gabapentin)

Detective Rushford said that in 2024, Berry was found guilty in Orange District Court of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Drug, and in 2021, he was found guilty in Eastern Hampshire District Court for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Class A Drug.

Justin Dodge was charged with:

• Possess Class A Drug (heroin/fentanyl)

Stacey Caldwell was charged with:

• Possess Class B Drug (cocaine)
• Possess Class E Drug (gabapentin)

“Berry was subsequently transported to the Orange Police Department for booking,” Det. Rushford said. “Once at the station, I informed Berry that one of the keys he had on his person opened a small, locked, cylinder-shaped container that contained a large amount of cocaine. Berry stated that he did not know what I was talking about, and that the shorts he was wearing were not his. I reminded him that I removed his wallet from those same shorts, which contained cards with his name on them, and he said that he had put his wallet in the shorts and still said that they were not his.”

Berry’s bail was set at $15,000 cash, and Detective Rushford said he was unable to post it.

“Berry did not wish to make a phone call, but asked if the money he had on his person could go with him,” Det. Rushford said. “I informed him that the money was being confiscated as potential drug proceeds based upon my investigation, and he told me that he earned that money by working for ‘Phil and Mike’ [Hepburn and Legasse]. I reminded him that he initially told me that he got the money from his tax return, and that he was now changing his story. Berry was later transported to the Franklin County House of Corrections for holding.”

Berry was arraigned in Orange District Court on May 5, 2025. During his arraignment, Berry’s bail was officially set at $2,000. (According to Detective Rushford, Berry was unable to afford the originally requested amount, and court records do not indicate that the lower bail was ever posted).

Berry’s next court date is a pretrial hearing set for June 10, 2025.

The arraignment and subsequent court date information for Caldwell and Dodge was not included in the records provided to News Link Live in response to a public records request for this incident.

Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place on May 1, 2025, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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