Traffic stop leads to heroin charge

Police say a North Springfield man had 500 bags of heroin in his pockets when they searched him following a traffic stop for alleged speeding.

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Published December 20, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Traffic stop leads to heroin charge By ERIC FRANCIS WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Police say a North Springfield man had 500 bags of heroin in his pockets when they searched him following a traffic stop for alleged speeding. Marcellus Knight, 23, pleaded not guilty last week to a felony count of heroin trafficking. He was released from White River Junction criminal court on a $10,000 unsecured appearance bond and with conditions that include a 24-hour curfew. Knight, a 2011 graduate of Springfield High School who had only a minor previous criminal record, allegedly confessed to Springfield police officers following a Dec. 13 traffic stop that he has been selling up to 200 bags of heroin a day recently to support his own drug habit, according to court documents. That alleged admission led to the trafficking charge, which carries a potential penalty of up to 30 years in prison. “Certainly the state’s case is strong against Mr. Knight. It’s difficult to find otherwise since a substantial amount of heroin was found on his person,” Judge Theresa DiMauro said during Knight’s arraignment. “He faces substantial consequences if convicted.” The judge said that while the charge was especially serious, “that doesn’t necessarily, with his background, rise to the level of a risk of flight.” She added, “I’m not sure where he’d go. His whole life has been here and his family is here, so for now we will do an unsecured appearance bond.” Springfield Officer Steven Neily Sr. wrote in an affidavit that prior to the traffic stop he was already aware from “a street source” that Knight had allegedly been selling large quantities of heroin in recent days. Neily said after he observed Benjamin Gremling driving at nearly twice the speed limit on Fairground Road, he pulled the vehicle over and saw Knight was in the passenger seat with his “hands visibly trembling as he was attempting to type on his phone.” As additional officers arrived, police searched the vehicle and found a pill bottle containing a buprenorphine strip, a glass pot pipe and small baggies of marijuana and baking soda, which police took to be a cutting agent for crack cocaine, Neily wrote. Knight initially refused to be searched, but officers applied for a warrant and then went through his clothing at the Springfield Police Department. Neily said they found 10 “bricks” containing 50 bags each of heroin in one of his jacket pockets. He added that those full bags stamped with the street brand name “Sweet Dreams” matched several empty bags which were also found in another of Knight’s pockets. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20161220/NEWS01/161229956