Press Release  Three Arrested, Arraigned in Connection with Drug Trafficking Operation on North Shore

Lynn — A woman and two men have been arrested and arraigned in connection with a drug trafficking operation on the North Shore, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. During the arrest, authorities seized approximately 10 kilos of cocaine and a half kilo of heroin with an estimated street value of $800,000.

Melkis Pena, age 53, of Swampscott, Jonathan Sosa, age 31, of Lynn, and Gerson Ceballos-Rosario, age 37, of Swampscott, were arrested Friday in a joint operation involving Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Attorney General’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Transportation Drug Unit (TDU), with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Swampscott and Lynn Police Departments.

“We allege that these three individuals ran a significant drug operation on the North Shore that was responsible for bringing heroin and cocaine into Massachusetts communities,” said AG Healey. “We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who traffic these lethal drugs.”

The defendants were arraigned on Monday in Lynn District Court on one count each of Trafficking in Heroin over 200 Grams and Trafficking in Cocaine over 200 Grams. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sosa and Ceballos-Rosario were each held on $500,000 cash bail. They are due back in Lynn District Court on April 19 for a probable cause hearing.

Pena was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail at a bail hearing in Lynn District Court this morning. She is also due back in court on April 19 for a probable cause hearing along with the other defendants.

In December 2014, authorities from the State Police TDU began an investigation into an alleged drug trafficking operation on the North Shore that they believed was responsible for distributing heroin and cocaine to and within Massachusetts.

Authorities arrested the three individuals Friday evening in Lynn after what they observed to be a drug transaction occurring in a vehicle. Authorities seized approximately 10 kilograms of suspected cocaine and a half kilo of what is suspected to be heroin after search warrants were executed on the vehicle and at an address linked to Sosa. Authorities also seized $15,000 in cash and supplies and materials known to be associated with drug packaging and distribution.  

This investigation remains ongoing.

These charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Gina Kwon of AG Healey’s Enterprise, Major and Cyber Crimes Division, with assistance from State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Transportation Drug Unit (TDU), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Swampscott and Lynn Police Departments, and the AG’s Digital Evidence Lab.

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