NORWICH – Following months of covert efforts, the Norwich Police Department and New York State Police raided a home on Lee Avenue Wednesday, arresting two people suspected of trafficking narcotics and seizing several packages of heroin.
Police waited until about 7:50 a.m., shortly after neighbors said three young children living at the home left for school, to raid the residence. They rushed the apartment in full tactical gear, lobbing concussion grenades into the building before breaking through the front and rear doors simultaneously.
Police found the two residents of the 4 Lee Ave. apartment inside – 39-year-old David A. Cahill and his 21-year-old live-in girlfriend, Rachael A. Cummings.
Cahill and Cummings had identical charges filed against them in Norwich City Court, the top count being third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony. Norwich City Court Judge James Downey said the crime carried a sentence of between 8 and 25 years in state prison.
The couple was also charged with first degree criminal nuisance, a class E felony and second degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.
“I have to credit the good citizens who live in this neighborhood with being patient while the police conducted this lengthy investigation,” said Norwich Police Chief Joseph Angelino.
One resident living in the area said he had recently reported finding a heroin syringe that had been discarded along the street.
In court, Downey reported that police had seized nine individually-wrapped packages of heroin stamped with the words “Game Over” on them, each worth approximately $20 a piece on the street.
Appearing before the judge, Cahill said he had sole custody of his three children, ages 5, 7 and 9, who had lived at the Norwich apartment with him for the last 18 months.
First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee said Cahill had past arrests in his home state of Connecticut for multiple drug related offenses, including sale and possession. Dunshee also said Cahill’s past acts in the state included fleeing and fighting with police.
Cahill reported that he was unemployed since losing his truck driving job and driver’s license in June of 2008 after being convicted of a driving under the influence charge.
Cummings also appeared before the judge and Dunshee said she had a criminal record containing only low level traffic violations and “harassment type of crimes.”
The 21-year-old South Otselic native told Downey that she had never had a residence in her name before and only lived with Cahill for the last two months after moving out of her parents’ house.
Downey remanded Cahill to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail and Cummings on $25,000.
Officer Michael Purdy, one of the investigators in the case, reported that there has been a dramatic rise in local heroin use, citing this case and three other 2009 heroin raids.
Angelino said he couldn’t recall this level of heroin activity since the 1970s.
“Heroin is making a strong comeback; it’s inexpensive and highly available,” said Purdy.
The officer said most of the material comes from Mexico and is more addictive and more unpredictable than other street drugs.
He explained that each time the drug changed hands, dealers would “cut” the material into smaller portions and add in other substances in order to increase profit, essentially watering down the drug.
“From one dealer to the next, depending on where it comes from, how far and how many people have cut it, the potency of the drug varies greatly. So a local addict who is using less potent material and buys it in a purer form from another dealer runs the risk overdosing and even death,” he said.
“You just don’t know what you’re injecting into your veins,” added the chief.
Police acknowledge the drug to be a rising concern for law enforcement and said they are in the process of taking steps to curtail its spread.
Purdy added that the most valuable asset in the local drug war is the community itself.
“There are more good citizens than criminals and they’ve always helped us,” he said. Purdy and Angelino encourage local citizens to contact the police at 334-1212 if they have concerns in their local neighborhood.
“These drug dealers ignore all the laws while the police have to work within the rules of criminal procedure. It takes time, but we have to get this right for the District Attorney to have a solid case,” said the chief.
“The more people who can call and provide us with information, the better,” added Purdy.