State Police Find $20K Worth of Heroin During Pittsfield Traffic Stop

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A defective brake light led police to finding more than 500 packets of heroin and $1,650 in cash during a traffic stop.

 

State Police say on Thursday at 6 p.m. troopers pulled over a blue Honda sedan on South Street for the defective light. The vehicle took a quick left turn and sped away for several hundred yards. Upon pulling the vehicle over, troopers found 10 packets of heroin on owner Joseph Walker, 42, of Pittsfield and then another 500 packets inside the vehicle, with an estimated value of $20,200.

 

The passenger, Derrick Laforest, 33, of Pittsfield, was found to have $1,640 of cash in his possession. Laforest is also accused of repeatedly threatening a trooper at the Cheshire Barracks. A juvenile female was also in the vehicle and arrested.

 

Laforest was held on $100,000 bail, Walker on $50,000 bail, and the juvenile on $5,000. Laforest and Walker were transported to the Berkshire County House of Correction and the juvenile to an alternative lock up program in Springfield.

 

Laforest is facing charges of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, trafficking in heroin, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and witness intimidation. Walker was charges with possession of heroin with intent to distribute - a subsequent offense - conspiracy of violate drug laws and brake light violation. The juvenile was charged with trafficking in heroin and conspiracy to violate drug laws.