Peabody, Lynn Men Charged In Gloucester Cocaine, Fentanyl Bust

PEABODY, MA — A Peabody man and Lynn man faced drug trafficking charges in Peabody District Court on Wednesday following a Tuesday bust in Gloucester, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.

Essex County DA Paul Tucker said Gloucester police charged David Garcia, 21, of Lynn, and Wilving Lopez, 22, of Peabody, after they were among three men in a vehicle that a police search found to include a can of leather cleaner that contained bags of drugs.

Police said Garcia was also charged with resisting arrest after he struggled with officers following the stop.

Police said they "approached a car they believed to be delivering drugs" in the city on Tuesday afternoon and were confronted by Garcia when they ordered him to exit the vehicle. Police said Lopez was then seen tossing a bag when he got out of the car, while a third man fled the car and was not detained.

Police said a "subsequent search located the bag, which was determined to contain drugs, while a search of the vehicle located drugs in seat backs and concealed in a can of leather cleaner with a false bottom."

The Essex DA's Office said 27 baggies of suspected fentanyl and 38 baggies of suspected crack cocaine were found inside and in the bag retrieved outside of the car, along with two rolls of cash totaling nearly $1,400.

Garcia and Lopez were each charged with felony trafficking in fentanyl more than 10 grams and cocaine more than 36 grams. The Essex DA's Office said they were both held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

The defendants were represented by attorney Kristen McLaughlin of Danvers.