Springfield heroin dealer is sentenced

A Springfield man who sold heroin to police informants from his home alongside at least one member of “the Jersey Boys” drug gang has been sentenced.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20150101/NEWS02/701019878

Nicholas Lynch of Springfield, seen here at his August arraignment with public defender Elizabeth Kruska, has pleaded guilty this week to selling heroin. Photo: ERIC FRANCIS PHOTOPublished January 1, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Springfield heroin dealer is sentenced By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A Springfield man who sold heroin to police informants from his home alongside at least one member of “the Jersey Boys” drug gang has been sentenced. Nicholas Lynch, 34, pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to a single felony count of selling heroin and, in exchange for his plea, the state dropped an identical charge which had stemmed from a separate purchase that also took place in February 2014 under nearly the same circumstances. Lynch was sentenced to serve one to three years with a recommendation from the judge that he be allowed to do so at the Corrections Department’s “work camp” at the Windsor prison facility, where inmates get so-called “two for one” credit for each day they work at jobs such as making license plates. Lynch’s public defender, attorney Elizabeth Kruska, described Lynch’s case to the court as something of a unique circumstance. “Even before he was arrested, he went to rehab and did an inpatient stay before (the criminal justice system) met him,” Kruska said to Judge Karen Carroll. “I’m just taking full responsibility,” Lynch himself told the judge a moment later, adding, “I want to apologize to my family for my actions and, when I do get out, I want to continue to do the right thing.” “Well, starting treatment on your own, without us having to tell you to do so, shows you are serious about that,” Carroll replied. She agreed to allow Lynch a somewhat unusual month-long delay in reporting to serve his jail term so he could get his two young children situated ahead of time. Detective Patrick Call wrote in an affidavit filed with the court that an informant who began helping the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force earlier this year because they were hoping for “consideration on some pending Vermont traffic tickets” told investigators they had bought drugs at Lynch’s residence on Brockway Mills Road in Springfield from Lynch himself and from a member of the “Jersey Boys” drug gang who was visiting there. The detective wrote that when the informant initially called Lynch on his home phone to set up the first “controlled buy” in early February, “Lynch became very upset about discussing this information on the phone and advised he had a new cell number from which he would text the price” for a “bundle” of 10 bags of heroin. Call said during the next phone conversation on the cell number Lynch talked about “bicycles” and said “that for the rim it would cost $110.” Detectives said they watched as the informant drove up to the residence and then emerged a few minutes later with a bundle of heroin bags, some of which were stamped with the street brand names “Dope Bross” and “Taco Bell.” The informant told the undercover officers that a member of the Jersey Boys gang had been inside when the drug deal was conducted, and they said Lynch’s young children, both of whom were younger than 10, were also present in the home. During the second purchase in late February, Call said police again listened as their cooperating informant called Lynch and asked if they could purchase another “bun” of 10 bags and added that during the call, “Lynch could be heard yelling at kids in the background.” Call wrote that the purchase at Lynch’s residence went smoothly, and after the informant left, they turned over 10 bags of heroin marked with the street brand “C.O.D.” in red ink. The informant told police three men were in the home who appeared to be members of the Jersey Boys gang, and once again Lynch’s two young children were playing in a nearby room as the alleged drug transaction was conducted.