A suspected drug dealer who cops say evaded them by constantly moving to new motel rooms was arrested on Monday in Middletown.
Police went to Passport Inn Motel, at 1310 South Main St, in Middletown on Monday because of complaints about narcotic trafficking. Police said they had contacted the motel about the complaints but the manager tipped off people living at the motel, police said.
One of those tenants, cops said, was Jesse Goodrich, a 29-year-old registered sex offender who is supposed to be living in Hartford. As police narrowed in, he would move to a new room at the motel, police said.
On Monday, police arrested Goodrich and three other people on drug charges.
Around 10 p.m., Goodrich got into a pickup and headed north on South Main St. Police stopped the truck and Alden Keeling, 47, pulled away as officers approached the truck, police said.
After a brief struggle, police took Keeling, Goodrich, and Shannon McManus, 36, into custody. Police said McManus played a role in a crack cocaine trafficking operation.
Under the seat of the truck, police found 23.1 grams of crack cocaine, police said. In the passenger seat door panel they found 1.3 of crack cocaine. Inside McManus’ bra, police said, they found 5.7 grams of crack cocaine and a glass smoking pipe.
Keeling had 1.6 grams of crack cocaine, police said.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the Passport Inn and the motel manager reluctantly told police that Goodrich had changed his room only hours earlier, police said.
Inside the room to which Goodrich had a key, police found cutting agents for crack cocaine, a scale, packaging materials, glass smoking pipes, needles, two packages of heroin, narcotic sales ledgers, and crack cocaine residue, police said.
Goodrich is being held on a $200,00.00 bond and was charged with drug possession, intent to sell and interfering with the execution of a search and seizure warrant.
McManus is being held on a $150,00.00 bond and was charged with drug offenses.
Keeling is being held on a $10,00.00 bond and was charged with possession of crack cocaine.
Police also arrested Shelby Costomiris, 22, of Middletown. Police said she was in Goodrich’s hotel room when they went in. There was an outstanding Middletown Police Department warrant charging her with conspiracy to commit burglary and larceny. She was also charged with drug possession.
