May 3, 2019 -Holyoke- In less than a twenty-four hour time span and in two separate heroin trafficking investigations, District Attorney Anthony Gulluni’s Hampden County Narcotics Taskforce along with members of the Holyoke Police Department, seized about 10,000 packaged and ready for sale bags of heroin.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni stated, “I thank all the investigators who work relentlessly to rid our streets of deadly heroin and fentanyl. These investigators left the announcement of the first bust to only return to the same streets to continue their mission and remove more heroin from the streets of Holyoke. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who wish to traffic poison and perpetuate the addiction crisis.”  

On Wednesday, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced the arrest of Tahge Pedrosa, 25, of Holyoke, after a lengthy investigation involving the sale of heroin from 401 Maple Street in Holyoke by members of the Hampden County State Police Narcotics Task Force, and the Holyoke and Longmeadow Police Departments, U.S. Marshalls Service and Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit.

The resulting arrest and search yielded approximately 5,000 ready-for-sale bags of heroin, approximately $112,000, 9 grams of cocaine, and two rounds of ammunition.  Additional paraphernalia used in a drug trafficking operation were found, including, a digital scale and baggies. He has been charged with the following: Trafficking Class A Drug (Heroin) 100-200 grams, Possession with the intent to distribute Class B (Cocaine), Possession of Ammunition Without an FID card. Pedrosa was arraigned Wednesday in Holyoke District Court where bail was set at $100,000; his next court date is on May 29, 2019.

The investigation into Tahge Pedrosa’s trafficking of heroin began after detectives investigated an overdose death that occurred in Longmeadow in January of 2019, which was led by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office and the Longmeadow Police Department. 

Later in the day, at approximately 11:45 p.m., an arrest was made in a separate investigation into heroin trafficking in Holyoke. Members of the Hampden County Narcotics Taskforce and Holyoke Police Department executed search warrants at 140 Essex and 125 and 127 Beech Streets. Arrested in connection with this investigation was Kenneth Torres, 23, of Holyoke.

He was taken into custody and transported to the Holyoke Police Department and booked on the charges of: Possession of Class A Drug (Heroin) with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Class B Drug (Cocaine) with Intent to Distribute. He was later arraigned in Holyoke District Court, where bail was set at $300. His next court date is on July 9, 2019.

Recovered during the search of the 140 Essex Street was: 500 bags of heroin, packaged and ready for sale, cocaine, packaging materials, and approximately $7,000. 

Recovered during the searches of the garages located at 125 and 127 Beech Street was: 4,500 bags of heroin, packaged ready for sale, approximately 100 grams of cocaine, a 9MM untraceable firearm with an extended magazine, as well as packaging materials.

Between the two heroin trafficking investigations carried out on May 1, 2019 a total of 10,000 bags of heroin, approximately $120,000, one firearm, and 109 grams of cocaine was taken of the street.