Two people who were arrested on drug charges after a raid at an apartment complex in Manchester are accused of buying 70 pounds of marijuana in California and shipping it to Connecticut to distribute, according to police.
In January, officials from the East Central Narcotics Task Force learned about a large-scale marijuana operation and determined the marijuana was being kept inside an apartment at the Squire Village apartment complex in Manchester, officials said.
When authorities searched the apartment, they found more than 70 pounds of marijuana, which has a street value of around $300,000, according to Manchester Police. They also found cash and other “items of evidence showing drug activity.”
Police said 22-year-old Kiara Lopez and 24-year-old Kenneth Chaparro were flying to California, where they bought large amounts of marijuana at "weed fairs," then packaged it and shipped it back to Connecticut in large boxes, using a private shipping carrier, to be distributed.
Authorities detained Lopez and Chaparro Friday as they were trying to board a flight from Logan Airport in Boston to California.
Chaparro was taken into custody and held in Massachusetts without bond, police said. He was extradited back to Connecticut Monday.
Chaparro was charged with possession more than four ounces of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of a school.
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He was held on a $500,000 bond.
Lopez was arrested at court Tuesday while she attending Chaparro’s arraignment.
Lopez was charged with possession more than four ounces of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of a school and interfering with a police investigation.
Bond was set at $175,000.
