Documents: Man hid drugs, money in floor safe of Winooski business
Elizabeth MurrayA man has been arrested after federal authorities say he was dealing drugs out of a business in Winooski and hiding those drugs in a floor safe.
After an investigation that lasted several months, Dean Shores, of Burlington, was arrested late last week in Massachusetts at Logan International Airport as he was attempting to fly to California, court papers show.
A criminal complaint alleging that Shores was in possession of more than 50 grams of meth in Chittenden County with the intent to distribute the drugs was filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Burlington.
A lawyer was not listed in court documents as of Thursday. The prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt, said late Wednesday there will most likely be no lawyer on the case until Shores appears in court in Vermont.
No hearing date has been scheduled.
As they were arresting him, Massachusetts State Police found Shores to be in possession of 20 grams of meth, two types of Hydrocodone pills, $13,000 in currency, three cell phones and a Glock pistol magazine with 13 rounds. Shores was not in possession of a gun.
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Earlier searches of the West Canal Street business, Shores' home in Burlington, his truck, and his person turned up almost 300 grams of suspected meth, thousands of pills and $64,000 in cash, search warrants show. Those searches followed an initial arrest in May after police stopped Shores on suspicion he was driving while his license was suspended.
During an interview with Vermont authorities, Shores "admitted to being a large-scale dealer of methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates in pill form, and other drugs," an affidavit written by Burlington Police Officer Dwayne Mellis states. Mellis is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.
"Shores advised that he had various sources that he used to obtain drugs, and that he received most of his drugs through the United States Postal Service (USPS)," Mellis wrote. "Shores told officers that he would use other individuals' names and addresses to receive his packages. In exchange for receiving those packages, Shores paid those individuals with drugs or U.S. currency."
Shores is associated with the business Imagenation of VT LLC at 150 West Canal Street, Suite 2, in Winooski. Business information through the Vermont Secretary of State's Office shows that the business was managed by Shores and another person, who was also listed as the business' agent. The business status is listed as having been terminated on April 1. Attempts to reach the person listed as the business' agent were unsuccessful.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ophardt declined to comment on Shores' role at the business.
"We will not make further comments regarding facts not in the public record," Ophardt wrote in an email this week.
The name of a business that formerly occupied the space, Moonlight Cycles, is still on the door of Suite 2 as of Thursday. Several businesses operate out of that same building. Attempts to reach the owner of the 150 West Canal Street building this week were unsuccessful.
Federal authorities conducted a controlled purchase of drugs from Shores in May using a confidential informant.
Police afterward conducted a search of the business in May and seized about 260 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 2,700 pills, and $47,000 in currency. Shores showed law enforcement that he hid these things in a floor safe, the affidavit states. They also searched Shores' home, person and car, finding more drugs and money, in addition to a false bottom Red Bull can with decoy liquid.
Mellis wrote in the affidavit that although some of the pills look like Adderall and Percocet, police believe they may be counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Lab results had not yet been completed at the time the affidavit was written.
It is unclear when Shores will be back in Vermont to face a federal judge. Ophardt said it could be at least a few weeks since Shores is also facing charges in Massachusetts.
Ophardt said he believes Shores is still in custody of Massachusetts state authorities, but that the arrest warrant issued by federal authorities will prevent Shores from being released on bail.
Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurrayBFP.