NORTHAMPTON – Two city men are being held on bail after pleading not guilty to charges Thursday that they intended to distribute heroin and cocaine in Northampton.
Joshua T. Ealy, 19, pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute – cocaine; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute –suboxone; distribution of a controlled substance – heroin; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute – heroin; and unlawful possession of ammunition without an identification card. Following his arraignment, Ealy was held on $15,000 bail. He is being represented by attorney David Mintz.
Nerkin O. Morales, 21, pleaded not guilty in Hampshire Superior Court to charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute – heroin; distribution of a controlled substance – heroin; and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute – cocaine. Following his arraignment, Morales was held on $10,000 bail. He is being represented by attorney Jon Heyman.
Both men are scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 25.
Ealy and Morales were arrested May 30 at the Meadowbrook Apartment complex after police interviewed a woman who had exited their apartment. The woman allegedly told police that she purchased heroin from the men on at least 10 occasions, according to court documents. After interviewing the woman, members of the Northwestern district attorney’s anti-crime task force began surveilling the apartment and then arrested the men.
Police obtained a search warrant the following day. During the search, police found four individual stacks of glassine baggies, 40 bags in total, marked in blue ink inside a kitchen drawer in the kitchen, according to court documents. Police said the baggies contained heroin. Inside a safe in an upstairs bedroom, police said they found two small baggie corners containing a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine as well as two different rounds of ammunition, according to court documents.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.