Alleged Drug Deal in the JCPenney Shoe Department Leads to Arrest

SALEM, NH — A Bay State man was arraigned yesterday and held on cash bail after allegedly getting caught by Salem Police detectives dealing heroin and cocaine at the Mall at Rockingham Park. Gianno Koeiman, 26, of Lawrence, MA, was arrested on Feb. 22, 2017, and charged with two counts of possession of a controlled drug-heroin, cocaine, and a single count of sale of a controlled drug, all felonies.

Editor’s Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Salem Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.

Detectives were at the Mall at Rockingham Park on Wednesday and reportedly observed a drug deal going down in the shoe department of JCPenney, according to Capt. Joel Dolan of the Salem Police Department.

“Detectives observed what they recognized to be a transaction between two males,” Dolan alleged. “Detectives were able to speak with the male who purchased the suspected narcotics and he confirmed their observations. Detectives, along with assistance from the patrol division, conducted a motor vehicle stop on Route 28 of the suspected seller.”

Officers spoke with the driver – later identified as Koeiman – and allegedly confirmed he was the man seen in the shoe department. He reportedly gave consent to have his vehicle searched and police allegedly located 75 individually wrapped bags containing a brown/tannish powder believed to be heroin and 23 individually wrapped bags of a white powder suspected to be cocaine, according to Dolan.

Koeiman was arrested and held. He was arraigned on Feb. 23. Koeiman was held on $20,000 cash bail until a future probable cause hearing, Dolan noted.

According to a report in the Newburyport News from May 2011, Koeiman was previously arrested in Amesbury, MA, for possession of a Class B substance.