LUIS CORA Arrest

(Release Note: This report pertains to an investigation by the Somerville Police Drug Control Unit into Mr. Luis Cora and his role as a narcotics distributor.)

 

On Thursday, August 6, 2015, at approximately 10:15 P.M., Mr. Cora was observed sitting in his Dodge Caravan, bearing Massachusetts registration XXXXX. The Dodge was parked outside of the Bairos Liquor Store located at 78 Broadway. Mr. Cora never left his vehicle and utilized his cell phone several times. It appeared Mr. Cora was awaiting the arrival of a second individual as he kept looking around. As Mr. Cora began to use his cell phone, Detective Capasso saw a male walking near the intersection of Broadway and Broadway Place start to talk on a phone as well. The unidentified male stopped at this intersection and put the phone in his pocket at the same time Mr. Cora put his phone down. Mr. Cora then pulled out of the parking spot and stopped at the intersection of Broadway and Broadway Place. The same individual that Detective Capasso just saw on his phone now opened the passenger side door of Mr. Cora’s vehicle and got in. I would note that the distance between 78 Broadway and Broadway Place is approximately fifty feet. Mr. Cora continued to head east on Broadway with the unknown male passenger. A rolling surveillance was kept of Mr. Cora as he entered Sullivan Square and pulled his vehicle over to the side. The unknown male got out of the Dodge at this time and Mr. Cora drove away. Mr. Cora took and immediate left turn, thus making a U-turn coming back into Somerville from Boston. While Mr. Cora did this, the unidentified male ran across the street in the same direction as the vehicle and appeared to be walking towards Assembly Square. Based on my training and experience, I believed Mr. Cora and this unidentified male to be involved in a street level drug transaction.

 

A rolling surveillance was kept of Mr. Cora and his Dodge as he travelled west on Broadway towards Cross Street. Mr. Cora made a U-turn and parked in front of YYYYY located at XXX Broadway. Mr. Cora has been working at YYYYY for several years. At this time of the night, the iron gates were closed to the business and had been for some hours. Mr. Cora was observed utilizing his cell phone once again with his head on a constant swivel looking around. Within two minutes of putting his cell phone away, a male approached his Dodge and got into the vehicle without stopping to talk to Mr. Cora. It appeared that this male, later identified as ZZZZZ, knew Mr. Cora was waiting for him outside YYYYY. The Dodge travelled east on Broadway, making a right turn onto Glen Street, followed by another right turn onto Pearl Street. As the Dodge stopped at the intersection of Pearl Street and Cross Street, ZZZZZ exited the vehicle and began to walk west on Pearl Street. Mr. Cora took a right turn on Cross Street towards Broadway where he would make a complete circle from where he picked up ZZZZZ. At this time, I believed ZZZZZ and Mr. Cora to be involved in a street level drug transaction. While speaking to Detective Collette, I explained to him that Mr. Cora was travelling towards Broadway and to stop his vehicle based on a threshold inquiry to our observations. Detective Legros and I stopped ZZZZZ as he was walking west on Pearl Street towards McGrath Highway. Detective Collette utilized his emergency blue lights and siren and subsequently stopped the Dodge Mr. Cora was operating at the corner of Broadway and Rush Street. 

 

As Detective Legros and I began to speak with ZZZZZ, he immediately stated that he did not buy any drugs from Mr. Cora. ZZZZZ stated, “Please, I did not buy anything from Luis.” At this time, I gave ZZZZZ his rights pursuant to Miranda from a card I keep in my wallet. ZZZZZ stated he understood everything. I asked ZZZZZ where he had just come from. ZZZZZ stated he was just sweeping up at YYYYY and began to walk home when he saw Mr. Cora sitting in his vehicle. ZZZZZ went on to say that he and Mr. Cora began to speak for a few minutes and decided to take a ride home from Mr. Cora. ZZZZZ began to sweat and started to become nervous when I told him I saw him get directly into the Dodge and never stop to talk to Mr. Cora. ZZZZZ was pat frisked for weapons and I could feel a hard object in his right pants pocket. I asked ZZZZZ what was inside. ZZZZZ replied that it was a pill bottle containing several pills. The pill bottle was removed from his pocket when ZZZZZ stated, “They are Percocet and Vicodin.” I asked ZZZZZ if the pills belonged to him. ZZZZZ answered that the pills did in fact belong to him but that he did not know if he had a prescription. I would like to note that the name on the prescription bottle does not match ZZZZZ. ZZZZZ went on to say that he was sorry for all of this and he just wanted to go home. 

 

During the motor vehicle stop of Mr. Cora, Detective Capasso and Collette stated Mr. Cora stated he had stopped in front of YYYYY to use the phone. Mr. Cora went on to say that ZZZZZ cleans YYYYY and was waiting for him to come outside of the business so that Mr. Cora could go home. It was explained to Mr. Cora that he was observed meeting with ZZZZZ and a second individual. Mr. Cora started to become nervous and was asked to exit his vehicle due to the safety of officers on scene, and the reasonable suspicion of drug activity taking place. Mr. Cora was read his Miranda rights by Officer Rivera, who was now on scene with Detective Capasso and Collette. Officer Rivera read Mr. Cora these rights in Spanish to which Mr. Cora acknowledged. While Mr. Cora was seated outside of the vehicle, Detective Capasso found a large clear plastic bag containing several other clear plastic baggies inside. Inside of one larger clear plastic bag, were six individually knotted, clear plastic baggies, containing a white powder substance believed to be cocaine. Also inside of the vehicle was a folded up twenty dollar bill containing a white powder substance also believed to be cocaine. Mr. Cora exclaimed that the white powder substance in the twenty dollar bill was real Cocaine. He then stated that the six individual baggies were mostly Cocaine cutting agents with very little Cocaine inside, if any at all. Mr. Cora stated that he was going to “beat people for the drugs.” Mr. Cora stated he intended to sell people the baggies of Cocaine cutting agents. 

 

Mr. Cora was transported to Somerville Police Headquarters via marked unit 200, Officer Soares, where he was booked in the usual manner by Lieutenant A. Rymill. I advised ZZZZZ that I would be filing a criminal complaint for his possession of drugs. All drugs were photographed and placed into evidence. Mr. Cora’s money and Dodge Caravan were seized due to forfeiture proceedings. During Mr. Cora’s route of travel, he proceeded directly next to the East Somerville Community School. This public school is maintained by the City of Somerville for grades K-8.  

Respectfully submitted,

Detective Fernando Cicerone #279