A Plymouth woman is facing multiple drug charges after she allegedly sold crack, fentanyl, and methadone to undercover state troopers, according to court records.
Police began investigating Claudette Ylitalo, 47, after finding her number on the cellphone of a person who died from a drug overdose in June, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz.
Police believe she may have given the victim, an unnamed man, a bag of fentanyl that proved fatal. It was unclear whether police are still investigating his death.
Three times in July and August, troopers from the Plymouth County District Attorney’s office, and state and Plymouth police allegedly bought fentanyl, crack, and methadone from Ylitalo, who lives in an apartment in the Tideview Path complex.
They allegedly arranged the sales by first texting and then meeting with Ylitalo, according to police reports.
An undercover officer, who is not identified because he is still working on other investigations, made the purchases while other officers in unmarked vehicles acted as “spotters,” observing the transactions, police said.
All told, police paid less than $300 for the drugs, court records show.
At 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, state police, armed with a search warrant, showed up at the apartment, where they allegedly found more drugs and a handgun with an obliterated serial number.
They discovered multiple bags of white powder and a jar containing red liquid. The white powder was believed to be fentanyl and the liquid was methadone, police alleged.
Three other people were in the apartment, including James Howe, 26, who admitted to police that he had a gun, police said.
Police found the black and silver 9mm Ruger in a locked green bag hidden under a sheet behind a mattress, police said. It had a black taped handle and a silver magazine containing 10 bullets, police alleged.
Howe said he found the gun in Rhode Island, according to police, who reported that he didn’t appear to have a license for the gun or the ammunition.
He was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card.
Ylitalo was arrested and charged with possession of fentanyl and methadone.
She was also charged with five other counts stemming from the undercover police buys in July and August — four counts of distribution of fentanyl or methadone; and one count of distribution of crack cocaine.
Ylitalo and Howe pleaded not guilty at their arraignments in Plymouth District Court Thursday afternoon.
Judge John Canavan released Ylitalo on personal recognizance – rejecting the prosecutor’s request for $20,000 cash bail – and a condition that she remain drug free.
She is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 7.
Canavan also rejected the prosecutor’s request for $20,000 bail on Howe, ordering him held on $500. Howe is due back in court on Sept. 20.
Attorney Ryan Matthews, who represents Ylitalo, said the case involves only a small amount of drugs and his client “denies any involvement in the disbursement of drugs and is looking forward to presenting her case to the jury,”
He called the prosecutor’s request for such a high bail “unfortunate.”
“We are grateful that Judge Canavan saw through the request and saw [Ylitalo] has zero record” and released her on personal recognizance.
Howe’s lawyer, Marshall Johnson, could not be reached for comment.
Andrea Estes can be reached at andrea@plymouthindependent.org.