A city man busted by Manchester Police for having 16 pounds of marijuana sent through the U.S. Mail to his home was as surprised as anyone when a FedEx truck showed up with 17 more pounds of pot for him – while police officers were arresting him for the mail delivery.
In the end, Celso Nuñez Baez, 33, of Manchester, was charged for possession of about 43 pounds of pot – including 10 pounds police found inside his home.
The trouble for Nuñez Baez began when Manchester Police Department’s Special Enforcement Division (SED) got a tip on Aug. 15 from the U.S. Postal Inspector about a suspicious package which was on its way to Nuñez Baez at 411 Front Street.
A Manchester Police drug-sniffing dog was sent in and confirmed that the package contained drugs.
Police coordinated with the postal service for delivery of the package to Nuñez Baez, and made the delivery. As Nuñuz Baez was signing for the package, detectives identified themselves and requested to search the contents. Nuñez Baez consented to a search of the package, which had 16 pounds of pot inside, police said. A follow-up search of Nuñez Baez’s home turned up another 9.8 pounds of pot, and a small handgun.
While detectives were still at the scene, a FedEx delivery truck rolled up to Nuñez Baez’s home with another package. Police said this one had similar markings on it as the one just delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, and so the drug-sniffing dog on duty sniffed the package and gave a positive alert, indicating the presence of drugs.
This time, Nuñez Baez did not consent to a search, so detectives requested a search warrant and, on Aug. 18, opened the second package to find 17 more pounds of marijuana.
The drug charges will be handled at the state level, in conjunction with the United States Postal Service. Nuñez Baez was charged with possession with intent to distribute. His bail set at $10,000 cash/surety pending his court date. A Probable Cause Hearing is set for August 28, 2014.
