F
entanyl, cocaine possession arrest
A man was arrested in the Hall Street area after police executed a search warrant on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The man was charged with six counts of trafficking fentanyl and three counts of distribution of cocaine by the Lawrence Police Department’s Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit and the Massachusetts State Police Drug Unit.
During the course of the investigation, detectives recovered approximately 131 grams of fentanyl and 26 grams of cocaine, investigators said.
The arrest is the result of the continued efforts by local and state law enforcement to combat the distribution of dangerous narcotics in the city, police said.
Lawrence man pleads in drug case
A Lawrence resident pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to drug charges after serving a federal prison sentence and being deported in 2023.
Angel Martinez, also known as Aneudy Rios, 56, pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Martinez is now scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 19. In October 2024, Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Martinez is on supervised release for 2019 federal drug distribution charges that resulted in 60 months in prison. After serving his sentence, Martinez was deported from the United States, authorities said.
In September 2024, Martinez unlawfully returned to the United States and sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Haverhill which was captured on video, according to court papers.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.
Martinez is again subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed, authorities said.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Dangerousness decision next in murder trial
A Lawrence man charged with murder remains behind bars until a superior court judge in Salem, Massachusetts, decides if he is a danger to himself or the community at large.
Tyler Halley, 21, had a dangerousness hearing on Tuesday in Salem Superior Court. The judge took the matter under advisement.
Halley is accused of shooting a young woman in the head on Memorial Day weekend.
He remains held without bail at Middleton Jail.
Halley is charged with killing Madison Tesniere, 20, after an incident in a Canal Street apartment May 23.
He has been held without bail since his initial arraignment in Lawrence District Court.
Halley was recently indicted by the Essex County grand jury so his case was transferred to superior court.
If convicted, the penalties Halley faces in superior court are more severe.
Tesniere was a medical technician who grew up in southern New Hampshire.
Previously, a prosecutor said Halley shot Tesniere in the head during what officials describe as “an intimate moment.”
Police and court papers in the case were impounded by the court after Halley’s Lawrence District Court arraignment.
At about 3:18 a.m. on May 23, Lawrence Police Department received a 911 call and then responded to an apartment at 240 Canal St.
“Upon arrival, a female was located with a severe head wound,” officials said. “The unresponsive victim was immediately transported to Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital and, shortly after arriving, she was pronounced deceased.”
Fondly known as Maddi, Tesniere was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, the daughter of Daniel Tesniere and Midheta Camdzic Siljic.
Tesniere earned her certification as a medical technician and began building a career caring for others.
She worked at several healthcare facilities, including Pleasant View Center in Concord, New Hampshire, Maple Leaf Health Care Center and Hanover Hill Health Care Center in Manchester, Colonial Poplin/Poplin Way in Fremont, and most recently All American Assisted Living in Kingston.
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter/X @EagleTribJill and Threads at jillyharma.