Police Arrest Alleged Drug Dealer in Stoneham

After a two-month investigation, a Stoneham man accused of dealing marijuana was arrested while police executed a search warrant last week, according to  Chief Richard Bongiorno.

On April 17, Stoneham Det. Paul Norton and the Southern Middlesex Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the residence of Patrick Decroteau, 17, of 5 Pond Street, according to Bongiorno. Decroteau, who was home at the time the warrant was executed, was taken into custody and charged with possession and distribution of a class D illicit substance, marijuana. If convicted, he could face up to two years in the House of Corrections, according to a police press statement. 

The drug task force includes police officers from several towns, including Woburn police Detective Lieutenant Robert Rufo and Detective Angelo Piazza, according to Bongiorno. 

"We worked very, very closely with Woburn (police). They are usually involved in most of what we do," Bongiorno said of the drug investigation. 

How the Investigation Started

A confidential informant tipped off Stoneham police Det. Paul Norton and the task force about the possibility of illicit drug activity happeneing at the Stoneham residence, according to Bongiorno. "It involved various surveillance times not only at the house, but while the suspect was mobile," said the police chief.

While executing the warrant, officers seized some marijuana, drug paraphernalia, money and paperwork consistent with a drug ledger, according to Bongiorno.

"There was a large number of sandwich bags consistent with drug distribution," Bongiorno said. "There was a scale and two grinders found. When you get marijuana, it is very leafy and you grind it to smaller pieces."

He declined to comment on the quantity of drugs recovered as well as the amount of cash found at the site. 

"Even though there is an arrest and a search warrant, that doesn't end an investigation necessarily," Bongiorno said. "It's possible that the result of this component could lead into things depending on evidence seized."

Decroteau was reportedly arraigned on April 18 in a Woburn District Court, but the results of the proceedings were not immediately available.

Anyone wishing to report illegal drug activity happeneing in the community can contact the Stoneham Police Department Anonymous Drug Tip Hot Line at 781-438-1215 x 3213. All information provided is kept confidential.