BOSTON, January 31, 2018— A Dorchester man was arraigned earlier this week on charges of trafficking fentanyl after he made a series of sales to a plan clothes Boston Police officer, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

ZACHARY GODWIN (D.O.B. 1/12/91) was arraigned Monday in Dorchester Municipal Court on single counts of trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, unlawful possession of ammunition, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of distribution of a Class B substance.  Judge James Coffey ordered that Godwin be sent for evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.

“Illegal firearms claim more lives in Boston and other big cities than all other weapons combined,” Conley said. “And opiates like fentanyl recently claimed more lives statewide than all homicides, suicides, and car crashes combined. Seizures like this one save lives.”

On Jan. 18 and again on Jan. 19, a member of the Boston Police Drug Control Unit acting in an undercover capacity purchased fentanyl from Godwin.  On each date, Godwin allegedly handed the officer one plastic baggie of fentanyl in exchange for $150. 

On Friday, the officer called a phone number he had used to arrange the earlier drug purchases and arranged to buy $250 worth of fentanyl. 

Minutes after the phone call, at 10:15 a.m., Boston Police observed Godwin exit his Algonquin Street apartment building and enter the undercover officer’s vehicle.  Inside the car, the officer exchanged $250 in bills in return for two bags of tan powder.  As the two drove in the area following the exchange, additional officers conducted a motor vehicle stop in the area of Gaylord and Washington streets.

Officers removed Godwin from the vehicle and executed a search warrant of his person.  He was found to be in possession of a foil-wrapped, empty pill bottle, a plastic baggie of fentanyl, and $723 in cash – including $250 in bills with serial numbers matching the bills used to make the undercover drug purchase minutes earlier.

When informed that two additional baggies of fentanyl were located inside the car, Godwin allegedly told police that it belonged to the undercover officer, prosecutors said.

A search warrant was subsequently executed at Godwin’s apartment, leading to the recovery of a total of approximately 114 grams of fentanyl, approximately 35 grams of cocaine, and items including a safe, three digital scales, plastic baggies and gloves, and lactose, which is commonly used as a cutting agent.  Officers also recovered two firearms – a KAHR P380 along with a magazine containing seven rounds of .380 ammunition as well as a Johnson Arms .22 caliber revolver and additional ammunition, prosecutors said.

Godwin was represented by Bruce Linson.  He returns to court February 16.
 

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.