AMESBURY - Police arrested a local man last night for carrying a stolen, loaded pistol and more than $45,000 worth of crystal meth - a sign that the drug has really arrived in the area, officers said.
"This is really scary; it's probably being dealt right in town," said Sgt. Mark Gagnon. "And (the suspect) is also riding around with a loaded handgun. This is a huge concern for us."
Gagnon said police responded to a report at 1:30 a.m. yesterday of a person having trouble with his car. Officers David Clark and Matthew Cunningham found the man, Joseph Funchion, 20, of 41 Bartlett's Reach Road, trying to start his car. After determining Funchion to be intoxicated, the officers searched his car and found a duffle bag containing a .40 caliber revolver, ammunition and 258 grams of crystal meth.
The drug, also known as crank, is a potent mix of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine and chemicals like ammonia and lye.
Funchion, formerly of Newburyport, is familiar to police. On Dec. 23, 2004, he was arrested for breaking into the Newbury Animal Hospital attempting to get drugs. This summer, he was arrested at a Danvers Hotel for drug posession.
But this time Funchion not only had drugs on him, police say, but also had the means to deal it.
Police found a scale and smaller bags for packaging the meth, which sells for about $175 a gram, Gagnon said. While police don't think Funchion made the meth, the fact that he could get a such a large amount of a high-quality product means the dealers are organized, Gagnon said.
After talking with Funchion, police determined he came from the Fairfield Inn, and found two people there with smaller amounts of meth and hypodermic needles. Police arrested Ariana Searle, 25, of 5 Green St., Amesbury, and Zachary Pollard, 24, 5 Moulton St., West Newbury, and charged them with possession of a class B substance. Searle was also charged with possession of a class E substance.
Police also arrested two people at Searle's apartment earlier in the evening, Gagnon said. Amanda Pederson, 20, of 5 Green St., was arrested on warrants for forgery and receiving stolen property, and Eric Hill, 27, of 38 Brimbal Ave., Beverly, was arrested on warrants for possession of heroin and shoplifting.
Funchion was charged with carrying an unlicensed gun, unlawful possession of ammunition, conspiracy to violate drug law, trafficking methamphetamine and possession of a class E substance with intent to distribute. He was arraigned yesterday and held on $100,000 cash bail. Searle was also held on $100,000 cash bail, while Pollard was held on $5,000 cash bail.
Four men were caught with 11 pounds of methamphetamine in Salisbury last October, they were part of a federal sting to nab dealers trying to make inroads into the Northeast. However, Amesbury has only seen a few small meth arrests over the last few years, but this bust means the drug has a presence in the area, Gagnon said.
"It's extremely disturbing for us," he said. "A stolen gun, all these drugs ... boy, it opens your eyes."
