An investigation that began in April ended with the raid of a room at the Holiday Inn in North Adams, where police discovered heroin, cocaine and a loaded weapon. SirFrancis Carthon, 36, of Springfield, faces multiple firearm and drug charges as a result of the raid on the room, where he was staying with his girlfriend.

According to The Berkshire Eagle,  the investigation began in April when North Adams Police spoke with a confidential informant, who provided information regarding a alleged drug dealer who frequented and sold narcotics out of a Spring Street apartment. On Tuesday, a concerned citizen reported that drugs were again being sold from the same apartment, according to the police report filed by Detective Sgt. Mark Bailey.

Later that Tuesday police spotted an unidentified man they believed could be their suspect on Church Street. They followed the man into the Holiday Inn and spoke to the hotel's staff, who identified him as Carthon.

Police followed Carthon as he left the Holiday Inn and allegedly made a sale of five bags of heroin to a city woman near Church Street. Investigators stopped Carthon, but he denied the sale and said he was visiting friends in North Adams with his girlfriend from South Dakota.  However after stopping the female involved, she confirmed had indeed purchased drugs and Carthon was arrested on scene.

Officers secured the hotel room in anticipation of obtaining the warrant and spoke with Carthon's girlfriend, Kari Warner.  Warner allegedly denied knowledge of drugs in the room and said she and Carthon had been living in Springfield for the last three or four weeks before visiting North Adams.

Police eventually obtained a search warrant for the hotel room and the couples rented Hyundai Elantra. Upon entering the room, police discovered about 2 grams of crack cocaine in the nightstand, 170 bags of heroin and 1.4 grams of crack cocaine inside a torn headband stuffed into the built-in tissue dispenser in the bathroom, and $818 in cash. A Taurus semiautomatic handgun with a live round in the chamber and a feeding device with 11 additional rounds was located on the desk.

Carthon pleaded not guilty in Northern Berkshire District Court to single counts of possession of a large capacity firearm in the commission of a felony; a firearm violation with a prior drug conviction; possession of a large capacity firearm; improper storage of a large capacity firearm; possession to distribute a class A drug, subsequent offense; possession to distribute a class B drug, subsequent offense; possession of a firearm without an FID card; possession of ammunition without an FID card; and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

Judge Paul Vrabel orderd Carthon to be held without bail, and found probable cause to schedule a dangerousness hearing for May 4. The police report indicated his girlfriend, Warner, will also face charges.

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