Put an end to the robberies at the pharmacy

At least three people are suspected to be the masterminds and hands behind the series of New England robberies. A few months ago, reports surfaced of a robbery of a couple of medical cannabis stores in the Northeastern United States. States in the New England region have recorded at least two thefts from medical cannabis facilities.

The burglary series was eventually traced back to three suspects in Massachusetts. That means this trio has worked in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The first robbery in this region was reported in 2020, and it took law enforcement more than a year to single out these suspects.

The suspects

The Portland Press Herald reported that the suspects were traced to Massachusetts. The team consists of two Boston brothers and a third man based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Law enforcement officials claim these three have been responsible for the various break-ins into legal cannabis stores across New England since 2020.

Police first received a tip in October 2021 linking all the crimes. This came shortly after another robbery at a cannabis cultivation facility in Gorham, Maine.

The agents were given access to a caper that showed the trio wearing full face masks, long sleeves and hats. The three people entered the facility through an outside wall near a commercial area. It was also revealed that a fourth person was posted outside the facility to keep watch.

Once the suspects entered the building, they carefully inspected all the rooms in the facility, trying their best to avoid being spotted by the motion sensors on the doors. About two hours later, the thriving finally left the facility and made their way home with over 25 pounds of cannabis. They also stole more than 450 THC vape cartridges.

Years of investigation

The Gorham heist provided the first clue in the right direction. The police immediately got to work by reviewing surveillance camera footage at the scene. One of the cameras outside the facility captured footage of the pickup truck being used by these suspects. The vehicle had a Massachusetts license plate and pulled into the facility’s parking lot nearly three hours before the suspects cautiously entered.

One of the camera microphones inside the building was able to record an interaction between the burglars. In this recording, one of the burglars asked for someone named “Dario.” The other burglar then replied that Dario was packing some suitcases in the pickup truck outside. From this record, it appears that Dario is one of the burglars living in Massachusetts (based on the location given on the license plates).

Further investigation into the case

Dario’s name and license plates were enough for law enforcement. Officials used this to find out Dario’s last name, Almeida. Dario Almeida is a 21-year-old Massachusetts resident living in the New Bedford area.

Stephen Hinkley, the Gorham Police Officer in charge of the case, contacted the New Bedford Police Department for Dario’s contact information. This was given promptly as Dario Almeida was a new offender in the department. A little less than a week later, the Almeida brothers were contacted via email by the New Bedford Police Department. They were briefed on their alleged involvement in burglaries across New England.

Mass Live reported that the brothers are originally from South Boston, while the third offender is a member of the New Bedford Community. Thanks to different cameras inside and outside the burgled cannabis facilities, the same pickup truck was captured in the recorded videos. Dario and his brother Rafael have been linked to breaking into a cannabis cultivation facility in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Stephen Hinkley went to New England law enforcement to inquire about similar break-ins. Records from these agencies indicate seven similar robberies have been carried out in Maine alone in the past nine months. Further investigation revealed that another cannabis store in Gorham was broken into on Thanksgiving night in 2020. The robbers breached the outer wall to gain access to the facility. There are also reports of burglars gaining access to South Portland cannabis stores. The police department eventually received a search warrant from a Portland, Maine judge. They used this to search for evidence by obtaining location data from suspects’ dropped phones each day the break-ins took place.

No arrests yet

Police have yet to arrest the suspects as the investigation is ongoing. In recent weeks, reporters have reached out to police departments across New England for their comments on the burglaries. South Portland and Warwick police spokesmen, however, refused to give anything. Gorham Police Department Chief Christopher Sanborn also declined to comment on the series of robberies. Chief Sanborn told reporters the investigation is ongoing and that no comment could be made at this critical time.

David Heidrich, a spokesman for Maine’s cannabis regulator, urged all licensed cannabis companies to file a report on thefts, burglaries and other forms of crimes committed at their facilities. He noted that the process for submitting these reports is straightforward. He also assured business owners that all accounts will be kept confidential by the police department. The regulator has no right to analyze the information received. He further clarified that the regulator’s only mandate is to license companies and ensure that all registrants comply with state medical and recreational cannabis laws.

final remark

Theft and burglary are major crimes in New England. And any suspects who are found guilty must always face the consequences of their actions. Once the investigation is complete and the suspects arrested, the law is allowed to take its course. With all of this, it’s important to note that if the cannabis industry were served by traditional financial institutions in the region and country, the companies wouldn’t be targeted by predators as much.

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