Wednesday, January 30, 2008
An informant made several drug purchases from one of the suspects.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD — Two city men are due back in Girard Municipal Court on Feb. 6 after police charged both of them with felony trafficking in marijuana.
Craig Siciliano, 22, of Washington Avenue, and Douglas Cross, 20, of Morris Avenue, are both free on $10,000 bond. Both men are due in court for a preliminary hearing next week.
According to police reports, city police and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force executed a search warrant at the Siciliano home Friday and arrested Siciliano. Police found more than a pound of marijuana, $1,300 in cash, surveillance equipment including video cameras, drug paraphernalia and packaging equipment.
Detective Greg Manente said the search warrant was the result of an investigation lasting several months, during which an informant made several drug purchases from Siciliano. He said police had received several calls about a man in the Washington Avenue area selling marijuana.
“He was at it for quite a while. His name had been thrown out there for about a year. We just had to find the time, manpower and someone [an informant] willing to get it done for us,” said Manente. “This is something people are going to see more of. The less proactive we are because of lack of manpower, the more of this we will see.”
Cross was arrested a short time after Siciliano. Manente said the two men are “affiliated,” but would not say how they are connected.
Manente said he suspects there will be more drug arrests in the city. He said police are combating the problem, but trafficking in drugs is becoming a major problem in the city.
“I could work full time on just narcotics here. It’s just that much,” he said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com