MANCHESTER — -
Police seized more than $230,000 in cash they believe are the proceeds of drug sales and charged two people after stopping a car .
About 6:20 p.m. Monday, Officer Christopher Morrissey stopped a car for license plate and window tinting violations, said Lt. Chris Davis, head of Manchester's detective bureau.
When Morrissey approached the car he smelled marijuana, he said.
Morrissey then searched the car and found $76,400 in cash inside a bag on the back seat. The driver, Hector Rivera, 35, was carrying another $1,000 in cash, Davis said.
Rivera did not claim ownership of the money and would not provide details of how he came to possess it, Davis said. When asked what he did for a living, Rivera responded that he worked at his father's body shop from time to time, Davis said.
Manchester police called in the East Central Narcotics Task Force, and together they obtained a search warrant for Rivera's home at 34 Spruce St.
When police executed that search warrant, they found another $157,592 in cash, 19.46 grams of marijuana and a .32-caliber handgun. Rivera and his wife, Melissa Rivera, 32, were then arrested on a host of drug and conspiracy charges, as well as risk of injury to a minor charges.
"They didn't discuss how they came across this money or whose money it could have been," Davis said. "There's no legitimacy we can determine for this money."
It took nine officers two hours to count the money, which totaled $234,992.
"We're going under the theory that this is illegitimate money and the proceeds of drug sales, whether they be his sales or somebody else's sales," Davis said. "It's not uncommon for somebody else to be the seller and have a house where they keep the cash, kind of a safe house."
Hector Rivera has no means of support and police found tax documents indicating Melissa Rivera made $24,000 last year, Davis said. The couple also receives state assistance in the form of the supplemental nutrition assistance program, formerly known as food stamps.
Melissa Rivera posted $260,000 bail, Davis said. Her husband did not and went to court Tuesday in Manchester.
"It just makes you wonder," Davis said of Melissa Rivera's posting bail. "When you're seizing $236,000 from them, I'm sure there's more somewhere else."
About 6:20 p.m. Monday, Officer Christopher Morrissey stopped a car for license plate and window tinting violations, said Lt. Chris Davis, head of Manchester's detective bureau.
When Morrissey approached the car he smelled marijuana, he said.
Morrissey then searched the car and found $76,400 in cash inside a bag on the back seat. The driver, Hector Rivera, 35, was carrying another $1,000 in cash, Davis said.
Rivera did not claim ownership of the money and would not provide details of how he came to possess it, Davis said. When asked what he did for a living, Rivera responded that he worked at his father's body shop from time to time, Davis said.
Manchester police called in the East Central Narcotics Task Force, and together they obtained a search warrant for Rivera's home at 34 Spruce St.
When police executed that search warrant, they found another $157,592 in cash, 19.46 grams of marijuana and a .32-caliber handgun. Rivera and his wife, Melissa Rivera, 32, were then arrested on a host of drug and conspiracy charges, as well as risk of injury to a minor charges.
"They didn't discuss how they came across this money or whose money it could have been," Davis said. "There's no legitimacy we can determine for this money."
It took nine officers two hours to count the money, which totaled $234,992.
"We're going under the theory that this is illegitimate money and the proceeds of drug sales, whether they be his sales or somebody else's sales," Davis said. "It's not uncommon for somebody else to be the seller and have a house where they keep the cash, kind of a safe house."
Hector Rivera has no means of support and police found tax documents indicating Melissa Rivera made $24,000 last year, Davis said. The couple also receives state assistance in the form of the supplemental nutrition assistance program, formerly known as food stamps.
Melissa Rivera posted $260,000 bail, Davis said. Her husband did not and went to court Tuesday in Manchester.
"It just makes you wonder," Davis said of Melissa Rivera's posting bail. "When you're seizing $236,000 from them, I'm sure there's more somewhere else."
Couple of idiots, 35 years old driving around smoking pot with $76,400 cash. Get a job loser!
LloydSchieldge (10/21/2009, 10:06 PM )