Lawrence man pleads not guilty to 7 drug trafficking charges, held on $15,000 bail

Santo Baez Arias, 33, of 11 Lawrence St., Lawrence, pleaded not guilty at a Nov. 6 arraignment at Waltham District Court to two counts of fentanyl trafficking in more than 10 grams; two counts of heroin, morphine, opium or fentanyl trafficking in 36 grams or more but less than 100 grams; distribution of a class B drug; cocaine trafficking in 18 grams or more but less than 36 grams; and conspiracy to violate drug law.

Waltham police arrested Baez Arias at 5:37 p.m. on Nov. 5 after officers reported that they had witnessed him conduct a drug transaction in the parking lot of the Extended Stay America hotel at 52 Fourth Ave. approximately 25 minutes earlier.

According to the police report, officers said they witnessed Baez Arias conduct four drug transactions in Waltham while they were conducting surveillance of known drug users between Aug. 29 and Oct. 30, including a transaction on Oct. 30 at the same hotel.

Members of the Suburban Middlesex County Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Baez Arias’ vehicle leaving the parking lot of the hotel after officers recovered what they believed to be fentanyl and cocaine from the other party involved in the transaction.

The police report also said officers seized 87.1 grams of fentanyl, 26.7 grams of cocaine, $957.02 in U.S. currency, a cell phone and the vehicle Baez Arias was operating.

Waltham District Court Judge Ellen M. Caulo at a Nov. 12 hearing ordered Baez Arias held on $15,000 bail at Middlesex Jail in Billerica.

Baez Arias is scheduled to appear via Zoom for a probable cause hearing on Dec. 18 at Waltham District Court.

Additional court actions

Caulo issued a warrant for James Thomas Mazzola, 49, homeless, of Cambridge, after he failed to appear for a Nov. 10 Lavallee hearing. Mazzola pleaded not guilty to receiving stolen property of value less than $1,200, trespassing and possession of a burglarious instrument at a Sept. 25 arraignment following his arrest by Waltham police on Sept. 24.

Caulo rescheduled a Nov. 10 pretrial hearing for Henry Chen, 53, of 3 Avon Road, Bedford, and a Nov. 13 hearing to review status for Danielle Riccio, 41, of 15 Luther Road, Burlington. Chen and Riccio pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of B and C class drugs at their Sept. 26 arraignments following their arrests by Waltham police on Sept. 25. Riccio is scheduled to appear at Waltham District Court on Dec. 12, and Chen on Jan. 6.

All information for this story was gathered from official court documents found at Waltham District Court and case information from masscourts.org.