Informant's tip leads to cocaine arrests

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

HOLYOKE - Northampton state police arrested a Ludlow man and a woman from Brattleboro, Vt., Tuesday on charges of trafficking cocaine after information from a confidential informant led to the discovery of more than 12 grams of the drug in their vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 91.

Cyrus C. Moss, 27, of 215 Laurel Lane in Ludlow, and Charlotte E. Crawford, of 1336 Putney Road in Brattleboro, both pleaded innocent in Northampton District Court Wednesday to charges of possessing a class B substance (cocaine) with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, at 4:45 p.m., state police Trooper Brendhan Shugrue was observing traffic at the Mt. Tom power plant on Route 5 when he received word that narcotics detectives in Springfield were attempting to catch up to a gold Ford Taurus with Vermont license plates that was traveling north on I-91. A confidential informant, Shugrue reported, had told detectives a passenger in the vehicle, a known gang leader in Indian Orchard, was trafficking cocaine.

Several minutes later, Shugrue reportedly spotted the vehicle near Exit 18 traveling 74 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. While attempting to stop the vehicle for speeding, Shugrue reported that it traveled in the breakdown lane for about a quarter mile before stopping and during that time the front seat passenger was moving around and acting suspiciously.

After stopping the vehicle, Shugrue reportedly called K-9 Trooper Brian Gladu for assistance. While leading the dog around the vehicle, it reportedly showed interest in the front door and police handcuffed both Crawford and Moss and placed them in cruisers. During a search of Crawford's purse, Shugrue located a baggie that contained 12.4 grams of crack cocaine.

After Moss and Crawford were arrested and processed at the station, Crawford was reportedly interviewed separately by Trooper William Loiselle. During the interview, she reportedly told Loiselle that Moss had been hiding out at her apartment in Vermont because he had an outstanding warrant for violating his probation and that in exchange for crack cocaine, she would drive him to Springfield to purchase the drug, which he would then sell in Brattleboro.

She also reportedly told Loiselle that she first met Moss when he sold her cocaine and that since that time, they had made four trips to Springfield and back.

According to court documents, in November of 2004, Moss was convicted of cocaine trafficking in Hampden Superior Court. Judge Richard J. Carey ordered Moss held on $10,000 cash or $100,000 surety and Crawford held on $500 cash, $5,000 surety. Neither posted bond Wednesday. Both are scheduled to return to court on July 2 for a pretrial conference.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com