Press Release  Four arrested in North Adams drug sweep

Pittsfield — The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday arraigned two individuals charged with trafficking cocaine in North Adams, and moved to hold the defendants through dangerousness hearings.

On Monday, members of the Berkshire County Crime Task Force assigned to the DA’s Office arrested four people and seized 141 grams of cocaine as part of an investigation into drug trafficking in North Adams. During court-authorized warrants executed on a vehicle and home, detectives arrested Anthony Dobbins, 46, Brian Mullen, 53, and Samantha Lloyd, 32, all of North Adams, and Mark Tanguay, 36, of Williamstown. Dobbins and Mullen were charged with trafficking in cocaine between 100 and 200 grams at an arraignment Wednesday in Northern Berkshire District Court, and held without the right to bail pending dangerousness hearings on Friday (Dobbins) and May 20th (Mullen). Lloyd and Tanguay were charged with possession of crack cocaine and released pending a future court date.

Over the course of an extensive investigation, detectives determined that Dobbins was residing at Mullen’s home at 152 Harding Ave., and using it as a base to store and distribute crack cocaine. At around 3 p.m. Monday, police observed Dobbins leaving Mullen’s residence in a BMW and stopped his vehicle on North Street. Detectives conducted a search of Dobbins and his vehicle and found crack cocaine, $998 and other evidence before arresting him. Dobbins’ lengthy criminal history includes convictions for drug distribution, weapons violations and more in New Jersey.

Detectives arrested Mullen while executing a warrant at his residence, where police found more than 100 grams of cocaine and other items. Also arrested at Mullen’s residence were Lloyd and Tanguay.

“Thanks to the diligence of North Adams police officers and Berkshire County Crime Task Force detectives, a significant amount of crack cocaine has been removed from North Adams,” Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington said. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their efforts and are actively working with the Berkshire County Drug Court, local government and community organizations to provide people struggling with substance use disorder the hope and help that they need to recover. We are working to address both the supply side and the demand side of the drug problem here in Berkshire County.”

###