Janice
07-17-2005, 01:55 PM
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=93954&format=&page=1 (http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=93954&format=&page=1)
Dial M for moron: Wrong-number call to politician lands drug suspect in can
Dial M - for moron.
An alleged Somerville drug dealer hoping to unload a ``large shipment'' of pills thought he was calling an old connection Wednesday night. What he got instead was Boston City Council President Michael Flaherty on the line - and a court appearance yesterday on drug-peddling charges.
``It was a sharp move on Councilman Flaherty's part to play along with this guy,'' police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole said yesterday, shortly after the alleged dealer, John Murphy, 32, was arraigned at South Boston District Court.
According to Flaherty, the sting was set up after he received a call on his new cell phone from an unrecognized number late Wednesday afternoon.
As Flaherty tells it, the conversation went like this:
``What's up? It's Murph,'' the caller said.
Flaherty, who grew up in South Boston and still lives there, said he naturally responded by asking, ``Which Murph?''
``John Murphy,'' the caller said. ``I just got a big shipment. Klonopins.''
An anti-depressant, Klonopin is also a controlled substance.
Flaherty, astonished that a dealer could be so brazen, said he pressed the caller for details.
``It would have been very easy for me to say, `Sorry, you have the wrong number,' and hang up the phone,'' Flaherty recalled yesterday.
Instead, Flaherty said he drove to South Boston's Area C-6 police station and recounted the call to Capt. Paul Russell.
``Initially, I was skeptical that we would be able to make contact with him, but I passed it along to the drug unit,'' Russell said.
An undercover officer called the number Flaherty provided, asked for ``Murph'' and claimed she was ``a friend of Mike's who wanted to buy 50 pills.''
Flaherty's phone rang again.
The conversation went like this, he said:
``This girl, your friend, she all right?'' Murphy wanted to know.
Flaherty vouched for the cop, and Boston police said they set up a meeting with Murphy to buy the pills for $100.
Just before 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, a blue Chevy Impala pulled into Sullivan's at Castle Island, police said.
Minutes later, Murphy and his girlfriend, Stephanie Iarossi, 34, were cuffed on drug charges.
Murphy was held on $10,000 bail despite begging his father in court: ``Please, Dad, sell the car.''
Iarossi was held on $3,000 bail.
Murphy's attorney, Denis Frauenhofer, said his client ``had no idea what he was doing'' when he called one of the city's most powerful politicians.
Flaherty promised to help the suspect seek drug treatment.
``My hope that this kid reaches out for help,'' he said. ``I think about all the young men and women, and the neighborhoods, that have been destroyed by this type of activity.''
http://news.bostonherald.com/images/localRegional/jmea07152005.jpg
John Murphy is arraigned at South Boston District Court yesterday.
Dial M for moron: Wrong-number call to politician lands drug suspect in can
Dial M - for moron.
An alleged Somerville drug dealer hoping to unload a ``large shipment'' of pills thought he was calling an old connection Wednesday night. What he got instead was Boston City Council President Michael Flaherty on the line - and a court appearance yesterday on drug-peddling charges.
``It was a sharp move on Councilman Flaherty's part to play along with this guy,'' police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole said yesterday, shortly after the alleged dealer, John Murphy, 32, was arraigned at South Boston District Court.
According to Flaherty, the sting was set up after he received a call on his new cell phone from an unrecognized number late Wednesday afternoon.
As Flaherty tells it, the conversation went like this:
``What's up? It's Murph,'' the caller said.
Flaherty, who grew up in South Boston and still lives there, said he naturally responded by asking, ``Which Murph?''
``John Murphy,'' the caller said. ``I just got a big shipment. Klonopins.''
An anti-depressant, Klonopin is also a controlled substance.
Flaherty, astonished that a dealer could be so brazen, said he pressed the caller for details.
``It would have been very easy for me to say, `Sorry, you have the wrong number,' and hang up the phone,'' Flaherty recalled yesterday.
Instead, Flaherty said he drove to South Boston's Area C-6 police station and recounted the call to Capt. Paul Russell.
``Initially, I was skeptical that we would be able to make contact with him, but I passed it along to the drug unit,'' Russell said.
An undercover officer called the number Flaherty provided, asked for ``Murph'' and claimed she was ``a friend of Mike's who wanted to buy 50 pills.''
Flaherty's phone rang again.
The conversation went like this, he said:
``This girl, your friend, she all right?'' Murphy wanted to know.
Flaherty vouched for the cop, and Boston police said they set up a meeting with Murphy to buy the pills for $100.
Just before 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, a blue Chevy Impala pulled into Sullivan's at Castle Island, police said.
Minutes later, Murphy and his girlfriend, Stephanie Iarossi, 34, were cuffed on drug charges.
Murphy was held on $10,000 bail despite begging his father in court: ``Please, Dad, sell the car.''
Iarossi was held on $3,000 bail.
Murphy's attorney, Denis Frauenhofer, said his client ``had no idea what he was doing'' when he called one of the city's most powerful politicians.
Flaherty promised to help the suspect seek drug treatment.
``My hope that this kid reaches out for help,'' he said. ``I think about all the young men and women, and the neighborhoods, that have been destroyed by this type of activity.''
http://news.bostonherald.com/images/localRegional/jmea07152005.jpg
John Murphy is arraigned at South Boston District Court yesterday.