'Large Amount' Of Oxy Found On Alleged Somerville Drug Dealers: Police

SOMERVILLE, MA – Two Somerville men were busted Saturday night after a "large amount" of Oxycodone, two bags of pot and a digital scale were found in a bag in their car, police said. Marvin Vivas, 19, and David Mendoza, 21, now face drug and conspiracy charges.

Around 8 p.m. on Aug. 12, police conducting surveillance in East Somerville witnessed a blue Acura TSX pull into a car wash on Florence Street and park alongside a second blue Acura TSX waiting by the vacuum section of the building.

Police parked an unmarked vehicle on Washington Street to observe the interaction. According to the police report, Vivas exited the passenger seat of the waiting vehicle and walked over to the driver's side window of the car that had just pulled up. Vivas reached into the window and then pulled his right hand out and put something in his pocket, police said. He then returned to the vehicle and the second car headed west down Washington Street.

Police believed a drug deal had just occurred and remained at the scene while additional officers arrived. They approached the car, which was still waiting in the car wash lot, and Vivas stepped out, police said. He was asked what he and the other three people in the car were doing and he replied, "Nothing, just chilling." When asked if anybody had met with the group, Vivas allegedly told them no.

Vivas was then told to sit by the back wall of the parking lot.

Mendoza was identified as the driver and registered owner of the vehicle. A detective asked him if there was anything in the car that should not be, and he pointed to two 30-mg Oxycodone pills in a driver's side pouch that he said were for chest pain. He told police he did not have a prescription for the pills, according to the report.

The two other passengers in the car were asked what they were doing at the car wash. One told police he had just been picked up on Florence Street and the group had not met with anyone while they were waiting in the lot, according to police. The second passenger said the group had come to the car wash to clean the car and told officers someone had met with Vivas while they were there, police said. Both passengers were asked to sit by the wall with Vivas.

Mendoza was asked to step out of the vehicle and told police he and his friends were meeting in the lot because they were heading to the casino. When asked if anyone came to meet them, he said someone had met with Vivas but he did not know the person's name. He then was asked to join the other three against the wall.

Police pulled out a brown bag that they had seen earlier on the back seat. All four men had denied owning the bag, police said. Inside, they allegedly found a plastic bag containing 96 pills with assorted imprints, determined to be 30-mg Oxycodone, 60 grams of marijuana in two bags and a black digital scale.

Mendoza was handcuffed and asked who owned the bag. He said the bag was his and allegedly admitted to having weed and a scale inside. When asked what else was in the bag, he allegedly told officers Vivas had put something inside before police approached the car, but he was not sure what.

Vivas was also handcuffed but declined to speak to police. He and Mendoza were arrested and charged with possession of a Class B drug with intent to distribute, possession of a Class D drug with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate drug law.

Police are also seeking charges against the other two occupants of the car.

Image via Shutterstock