Police Arrest Three In Massive Tewksbury Drug Bust

TEWKSBURY, MA -- Tewksbury and Billerica Police, along with state and federal law enforcement officers, arrested three people and recovered large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl during an early Thursday morning raid on Ames Hill Drive in Tewksbury. Wilson Soto, 49, Christina Richardson, 48, and Soto's son, Yojanel Soto, 20, all of 412 Ames Hill Drive, were charged with trafficking fentanyl, trafficking over 200 grams of cocaine, and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

The early morning raid follows a two-month investigation and involved more than two dozen law enforcement officers. Police recovered more than $8,000 in cash, 1,049 grams of cocaine and 644 grams of fentanyl when they executed a search warrant of the apartment. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $100,000, according to the Middlesex District Attorney's office.

According to the Lowell Sun, Wilson Soto is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was previously deported. He was charged in Texas with illegally re-entering the country and was also charged with identity fraud and possession of a false or stolen Registry of Motor Vehicles document. At the time of arrest, he had a Massachusetts drivers license that he had obtained using one of several aliases.

All three were arraigned in Lowell District Court Friday morning. Wilson Soto was being held on $500,000 cash bail, while a judge set bail for Richardson and Yojanel Soto at $50,000.

When police forcibly entered the apartment at 6 am Thursday morning, Richardson was holding a nine-month-old baby. She and Wilson Soto initially refused to speak to police, but when police placed them under arrest, Wilson Soto said Richardson and his son were not involved in the drugs confiscated in the apartment.

Police say video surveillance shows Richardson carrying plastic bags to the garage and a car parked there, where most of the drugs were found. Yojanel Soto is currently on probation for possession with intent to distribute a Class A substance.

All three defendeants are scheduled to be back in court for a hearing scheduled for December 14.

For more on this story, see the Lowell Sun. Subscribe to Tewksbury Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Photo courtesy of Middlesex DA's Office, Tewksbury Police

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).