NORTHAMPTON — A Holyoke man who was arrested with two others in Huntington early last year was arraigned Friday on charges accusing him of drug distribution and stealing his girlfriend’s car. 

Jovanni N. Marrero, 24, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court to charges of distributing a class A, B and D drug, carrying a dangerous weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to stop for police and speeding. Marrero was ordered held on $5,000 cash bail.

In a criminal complaint filed in court, State Trooper Daniel B. Quigley wrote that he attempted to pull over a red Infiniti that had allegedly failed to stop for Peru police around 11:10 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2019. Quigley saw the car traveling in Huntington and attempted to catch up with it at a high rate of speed but failed.

Quigley reported that he found Marrero, along with Giovanny Gonzalez and Rafael Hernandez, both of Springfield, walking in a restricted area near train tracks in Huntington with a locked and unoccupied red Infiniti nearby. The car’s keys could not be found during a search.

Gonzalez allegedly stated he was the car’s driver and was put under arrest, court documents said. During booking, Gonzalez reportedly said Marrero was actually the car’s driver, and that there was heroin in the trunk, according to Quigley.

On the same day, the Holyoke Police Department received a stolen vehicle report from Marrero’s girlfriend, who reportedly requested Marrero to be charged with stealing the car as she did not give him permission to borrow it. A search of the car days later allegedly found brass knuckles, a half-empty bottle of Hennessey, a digital scale, sandwich bags, and marijuana, cocaine and heroin. 

Quigley’s report also requests criminal charges be brought against Hernandez and Gonzalez for drug distribution, carrying a dangerous weapon, being a minor in possession of or transporting alcohol and obstruction of justice. The status of those two cases was unclear at press time. 

A warrant issued for Marrero’s arrest after he failed to appear in court early last year was recalled Friday because Marrero was already being held by Springfield District Court on other charges at the time.

Marrero is due back in court on Feb. 11.

Michael Connors can be reached at mconnors@gazettenet.com.