DENVER — A Denver man is facing 30 felony counts for allegedly running a large-scale drug operation involving fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cocaine, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said Wednesday.
In January, the Denver Police Department received tips from two anonymous sources about suspected drug dealing happening at a house located at 36th and Osage Street in Denver, the district attorney's office said in a press release. A search warrant was obtained, and officers began surveilling the home.
According to the probable cause statement, around 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 20, officers were told that they had probable cause for a narcotics-related search warrant for the house. Before the search warrant was signed by a judge, the sole occupant of the home, identified as 42-year-old Jose Hernandez Martinez, exited the home and was detained and held pending approval of the search warrant, the statement states. Officers searched the home for other occupants, and no one else was located.
After the warrant was signed, officers entered the home and began the search. The following items were found, according to the district attorney's office:
- thousands of suspected fentanyl pills (about 850 grams of fentanyl subsequently determined)
- multiple pounds of suspected methamphetamine
- large quantity of suspected black tar heroin
- more than $7,000 in cash
- assault rifles, a shotgun, semi-automatic handguns, and a revolver
- miscellaneous gun parts including several non-serialized "ghost" lower receivers to rifles
- thousands of rounds of live ammunition in various calibers
- ledgers listing amounts owed/paid for illicit narcotics
- sandwich baggies allegedly used to package narcotics for sale
- scales
Hernandez has been charged with 24 counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (DF3), one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (DF2) and two counts of possession with intent to distribute (DF1).
His arraignment has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 10.