Woburn Man's Arrest Points To Bigger Problems In Winchester DPW

WOBURN, MA -- When Jeffrey Gangi was arrested Feb. 21, it seemed like a small-potatoes kind of drug bust. Only three pills were recovered, two of which Gangi allegedly sold to a friend. But other factors — including the multiple law enforcement agencies involved in the arrest and the press release issued by the Middlesex District Attorney's office noting that he worked for the Winchester Department of Public Works, suggested something bigger was going on.

Gangi, 48, of Woburn, pleaded not guilty to one count of distribution of a Class B substance in Woburn District Court. He declined comment through a family member. But a police report included in his court case file shows that Winchester Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency tailed Gangi for months before arresting him in the parking lot of the Sons of Italy Club in Winchester in February.

According to an arrest report filed by Winchester Police Officer Robert Delaney, police began investigating Gangi in November after a confidential informant told police that several employees of the Winchester Department of Public Works "were using (and addicted to) prescription opiate pills," and that many of them purchasing the pills from Gangi. Delaney's report said he was familiar with Gangi, and that his arrest was part of an investigation into "ongoing drug use and distribution taking place in the Winchester DPW."

Gangi has been fired by the Town of Winchester. Winchester DPW Director James Gill did not return phone messages Thursday.

Winchester Police, Woburn Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency started surveillance of Gangi in November and, over the course of the next few months, observed "approximately 15 interactions" between Gangi and Winchester DPW employees. The interactions were conducted both in town-owned and private vehicles, and Delaney said that "based on our training and experience," the law enforcement agents deduced that they were drug deals.

At 2 p.m. on February 21 officers from the Winchester and Woburn Police Department met with DEA agents for a final briefing before they headed out to arrest Gangi. By 2:15 they were tailing Gangi, according to Delaney's report. Shortly after they started following Gangi, he pulled into a parking lot behind the Sons of Italy Club in Winchester and had a brief interaction with the driver of a green Toyota Camry.

As Gangi left the parking lot, Peter Dizio, a DPW employee who was taking a cigarette break from his shift as a bartender at the club, was standing in front of the building. Dizio tried to flag down Gangi, who did not see him. Dizio would later tell police he then called Gangi and asked him to come back. He initially told police he was calling to ask him to come back and hang out, but when police said they didn't believe him, Dizio said "Okay, I was gonna buy one from him," according to Delaney's report. Delaney said they asked Dizio to be more specific and he said he had wanted to purchase a 30mg Percocet pill from Gangi for $40.

Police stopped the green Camry and questioned it operator, Michael Tierno of Woburn. Police recovered three pills, two of which Tierno said he had purchased from Gangi for $80.

Meanwhile, Gangi had returned to the Sons of Italy and Dizio walked around the back of the building to meet him. Police moved in to arrest Gangi. Dizio would later tell police as he was approaching the car Gangi said "Cops! Cops!" once he noticed the officers approaching.

No additional drugs were turned up in a search of Gangi and his truck. The court file shows that police also took a witness statement from a man named Rich Longo, but that statement is not included in the court file, nor was it referenced in Delaney's report.

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Patch file photo.

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