BRISTOL — Bristol police on Jan. 17 arrested a second man implicated in a September drug raid on a South Street apartment. Court papers detail the sting operation that led to the arrests of the men for drug offenses.
It is the latest in a long-term effort by Bristol police to fight drugs in the community.
According to an affidavit written by Bristol Officer Josh Otey, a confidential informant arranged to purchase two bags of heroin from Jody Lee Cousino for $60 on Sept. 18. The informant told police that Cousino would meet him in the parking lot of 14 South St., take the money, walk upstairs to an apartment to purchase the heroin using the informant’s money, and return to the parking lot to deliver the drugs to the informant.
Sgt. Randy Crowe followed the informant’s vehicle to the parking lot of 14 South St., while Otey observed the lot from a concealed location nearby.
Aided by audio and video surveillance, police observed the transaction, which was conducted as the informant said. After the buy, police met with the informant, who provided them with two bags of heroin labeled “Sweet LiFe.”
Using this information, officers obtained a search warrant for the apartment the next day. Just before 9 p.m. that evening, Sept. 19, officers entered the apartment without knocking or announcing themselves, as permitted by the warrant. Inside were Terrance Devon Diggs and three other men, as well as bags containing different narcotics.
“I observed and later recovered a quantity of crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana from the immediate area where Diggs was seated,” Otey wrote in his affidavit. “These substances were stored within plastic bags and appeared as if Diggs had these items out for sale.”
One of the other men attempted to exit out a window of the apartment, which is on the second floor. Otey grabbed the man by the shirt and handcuffed him, the affidavit states.
In total, police recovered two bags of marijuana, one bag of cocaine, five bags of heroin and an undisclosed amount of “bath salts,” which Diggs produced from his sock.
Officers also seized more than $1,100 in cash. Four of the bills found on Diggs’ person were linked by their serial numbers to bills police provided to the informant to use in the heroin transaction the night before.
The other three men in the apartment were not charged.
At his arraignment Sept. 20, Diggs pleaded innocent and was jailed in lieu of $25,000 bail. A status conference for his case is scheduled for Feb. 24. Cousino was arraigned Jan. 17, and also pleaded not guilty. He was released on conditions and is due back in court March 3.