Drugs, Guns Nabbed In Drug Sting At Manchester Motel Complex

MANCHESTER, CT — A regional drug task force confiscated both narcotics and guns in a raid at a Manchester motel complex.

Four were arrested after the Saturday raid at the Hawthorn Suites, 191 Spencer St., police said.

This summer, the East Central Narcotics Task force began an investigation into "criminal activity" at units at the motel. Police had received complaints of narcotics and firearms trafficking as well as other "quality of life"
complaints, according to case records.

The Manchester Police Department had also responded to the apartment complex for several reports of possible shots fired incidents, case records show.

Case records show that in August, the task force obtained search warrants and arrest warrants for two residents of the Hawthorn Suites tied to the suspected trafficking of methamphetamines and firearms offenses — Darrik Forsythe and Ronald Vaccaro. The warrants were served on separate rooms occupied by Forsythe and Vaccaro with the assistance of Capitol Region Emergency Services Team, police said.

Seized from Forsythe’s room was a loaded 12 gauge Mossberg shotgun, 113 grams of suspected methamphetamines, and 430 bags of suspected fentanyl. Seized from Vaccaro’s room was a loaded Ruger .44 caliber revolver.

Forsythe, 42, was charged with the following:

• Criminal possession of a firearm
• Possession of a controlled substance
• Possession of narcotics with the intent to sell
• Sale of narcotics (cocaine/heroin)
• Sale of a narcotic substance
• Interfering with officers
• Operation of a drug factory
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of school
• Possession of Controlled Substance within 1,500 feet of a school
• Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell within 1,500 feet of a school

Vaccaro, also 42, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm.

During the investigation into the suspected narcotics activity at the Hawthorn Suites, task force members determined that a large shipment of methamphetamines was en route to the motel complex. The ECNTF, assisted by the Manchester Police Department's PAR Unit, federal DEA Task Force members, FBI Task Force members and United States Postal Inspectors, intercepted the parcel and "facilitated a controlled delivery" of nearly 1 pound of meth to the Hawthorn Suites.

As a result, Nicholas Kopek, 26, was taken into custody.

Kopek was charged with:

• Possession of a controlled substance
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Risk of injury to a minor

In September, the task force continued to investigate suspected narcotics dealing and related firearms activity at the Hawthorn Suites, case records show. An undercover buy operation targeting Lamar Midgette, 43, who. goes by the street name of "Bless," case records show.

The task force then compiled two arrest warrants for Midgette for possession and sale of fentanyl and, on Sept. 30 the ECNTF executed a search and seizure warrant on Midgette's residence at the Hawthorne Suites complex, police said. During the search, investigators located a loaded Glock 21 handgun, nearly an ounce of suspected crack cocaine packaged for sale, 61 bags of suspected fentanyl, and a variety of drug packaging and processing equipment.

Midgette was charged with:

• Possession of a controlled substance
• Possession of narcotics with intent to sell
• Operation of a drug factory
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of a school
• Possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school
• Possession of drugs with the intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school
• Criminal possession of a firearm
• Possession of a high-capacity magazine