The Rhode Island State Police has announced that on Thursday, the Rhode Island State Police HIDTA Task Force, assisted by members of the Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Cranston Police Special Investigations Unit, concluded a narcotics and firearms investigation into an organized criminal street gang operating in the Providence and Cranston areas. This criminal group has been alleged to be associated with firearms related offenses and narcotics trafficking.
The following members associated with this criminal street gang were arrested:
- Eric Thomas, age 24, of Cranston
- Angell Martinez, age 20, of Providence
- Jayden Martinez, age 18, of Providence
During the execution of the court-authorized search warrants, members of law enforcement seized two (2) illegal firearms with considerable amounts of ammunition. Members of the HIDTA Task Force also seized multiple extended magazines, 50 grams of cocaine, 40 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, and $5,000 in cash.
Weapons charges include: the Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons Prohibited, Possession of Firearms While Committing Controlled Substance Violations, and Large Capacity Feeding Devices Prohibited.
Narcotics charges include Possession With the Intent to Deliver over 1 Ounce of a Schedule II Controlled Substance – Fentanyl, Possession With the Intent to Deliver over 1 Ounce of a Schedule II Controlled Substance – Cocaine, and the Possession With the Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances – Fentanyl, Cocaine and Marijuana.
These search warrants are the result of on-going investigations by the HIDTA Task Force into multiple violent criminal groups operating within the State of Rhode Island. During the previous 18 months, the Rhode Island State Police HIDTA Task Force conducted dozens of search warrants targeting members of these gangs resulting in the following arrests and seizures:
- 18 arrested suspected gang members and criminal associates
- 20 Firearms seized (This includes stolen firearms and ghost guns)
- Dozens of Extended Magazines seized
- Large Amounts of Ammunition seized
- 7 auto-sear switches seized (An auto-sear switch is a small device that is typically made of plastic or metal on a 3D printer. This illegal device is specifically made to modify a semi-automatic handgun to be a fully automatic machine gun.)
These seizures are the direct result of collaborative efforts between numerous law enforcement agencies assisting the Rhode Island State Police in their pursuit of violent, and often armed narcotics distributors. The success of these investigations is attributed to the partnerships of the Rhode Island State Police with its local and federal partners and the Office of the Attorney General.
The Rhode Island State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force is comprised of members from the Rhode Island State Police, Cranston Police Department, Johnston Police Department, Coventry Police Department, Narragansett Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program.
