In the wake of a massive drug bust in Springfield, Mass., city leaders have been looking to shut down a convenient store at the center of the investigation. But as city councilors learned this week, closing up the shop is easier said than done.
Authorities put an end to a drug trafficking operation in the city’s Forest Park neighborhood in May – netting 19 arrests and over 12,000 grams of cocaine.
It was one of several busts announced by the Hampden District Attorney at a recent press conference, said to have allegedly involved two local businesses – Garcia Market and Angel’s Used Appliances at Orange and White streets.
“The businesses served as fronts for illicit drug trafficking by a drug trafficking organization, and are located in an area that has experienced overwhelming violence,” DA Anthony Gulluni told reporters during a press conference on May 27.
According to the DA, between October ‘22 and October ‘24, police received at least a dozen calls for an individual with a gun, two reports of victims suffering gunshot wounds and at least 46 reports of shots being fired near the intersection.
It’s a densely-populated neighborhood, and with reports of fentanyl and over a dozen guns also being seized, it led to Mayor Domenic Sarno calling for both businesses to go.
“I'd like to see if we could shut this place down, [issue] a cease and desist order to shut them both down,” Sarno told WAMC on May 29. “We have to work through the authorities on - everything is ongoing here, but my goal is to try to get this shutdown as soon as possible.”
The mayor said he would task the city solicitor’s office as well as the Division of Health and Human Services with looking into the matter.
That same day, locals could be seen coming in and out of the Garcia Market, while washing machines for sale and an “OPEN” sign were on display at Angel’s Used Appliances. Weeks later, it doesn’t look like either are shutting down any time soon.
Health and Human Services Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris says after a few recent visits by inspectors, Garcia Market is more or less up to code – making pulling permits a no-go.
“If we pulled that permit illegally, then we would be in a position of needing to respond, potentially, to their attorney as to why we did that when their food permit, their prep area was passing,” she said, describing how initial inspections found some code violations, but that the mini-mart was able to quickly address them.
The update came during a City Council Public Safety subcommittee meeting Monday.
Also on hand was Police Lieutenant Jaime Bruno. He told councilors the kind of illegal activity his department and the DA uncovered has effectively ceased at the location. On top of that, it appeared all of the suspects involved in the operation were arrested and ordered held, following a dangerousness hearing.
“There's other avenues that we can certainly explore, and we would have to have some conversation with our law department,” Bruno said of shutting down the businesses. “I think … the individuals that have been involved in this drug operation have been arrested at this point, and any other residual complaints that have come in to the mayor's office, I have had them forwarded to me - the illegal activity that we had uncovered previously has ceased..”
Still, city councilors want to see something done, especially given the scope of what was seized, says Ward 6 Councilor Victor Davila.
“I realize that there's a lot of legalese involved with this, and I'm sorry - that's not selling a joint, that's a major distribution center,” he said. “So, I have no pity for them, not for [anyone] that decides to use their establishments in our city to do distribution.”
Citing conversations with the Forest Park Civic Association, Ward 5 Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce says even with a decline in illegal activity, locals remain concerned about the spot.
“I'm in agreement with our councilors that they should be shut down - I'll go on the record of saying that, that this should be shut down,” he said. “I know there's some legal aspects we have to get through, but this is totally unacceptable.”
A representative of Garcia Market tells WAMC they wouldn’t comment without a lawyer present – but added that shutting the shop down is unnecessary.
