KNOCK! KNOCK! COPS POSE AS DRUG DEALERS, ARREST 16

TORRINGTON -- The arrest of three alleged drug dealers Thursday did little
to stem their flow of customers as police arrested a dozen Greater
Torrington residents who knocked on the dealers' North End apartment door
the same night.

The neighborhood residents who asked police to target the Marjorie Street
apartment had told police the business was brisk and that the partakers
were brazen, police said. It didn't take a months-long, intensive
undercover police investigation to confirm what neighbors suspected, police
said.

The prospective clients didn't seem to mind that the men inside the
apartment were obviously not the same people who had been there the
previous night.

"They knew what they wanted," Detective Sgt. Francis Balzano said. "We were
there for two hours and they kept coming. When we left, they were still
coming and we had to turn them away as we were leaving."

A half dozen who failed to post bond overnight were arraigned in Bantam
Superior Court Friday before Superior Court Judge Stephen Frazzini. All
were represented by the public defender's office. Most of the individuals
had a history of drug-related problems, Public Defender John Cizik said.

Police nabbed 16 in all during the night that started at 10:25 p.m.

[sidebar] DRUGS: `Reverse sting' nabs buyers in Torrington

At that time, police detectives and patrol officers drove two blocks from
the station to the residential/commercial neighborhood where the Marjorie
Street apartment is located. The police, who said they tried to draw as
little attention to their approach as possible, crept to the apartment,
search warrant in hand.

Once inside, the police found illegal drugs, money and drug paraphernalia.
They set up what in cop talk is called a "reverse sting." That's when the
police pretend to be the drug dealers and as buyers visit, police arrest
them. Police arrested 13 Thursday night. Inside the apartment, officers
catalogued items that were seized and searched for other, possibly hidden,
things.

The knocks at the door continued through the night as one after another
sought crack cocaine.

Balzano said the lure of easy money prompts the sort of bold behavior area
residents reported.

"Operations of this type enable police to attack the drug operation from
the demand end as well as the normal supply side," police said.

Balzano said police aren't going to make the drug culture go away, but they
can make the business of dealing in drugs more difficult.

"We can displace and disrupt it," he said. "We will make it more difficult
for them."

Those arrested included the three residents of the apartment:

Tony Jackson, 28, charged with possession of freebase cocaine, possession
of marijuana under 4 ounces and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond
was reduced from $50,000 to $25,000 in court.

Mark Gould, 39, charged with possession of freebase cocaine and possession
of drug paraphernalia. His bond was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000 in court.

Karen Monty, 40, charged with possession of freebase cocaine and possession
of drug paraphernalia. She was released on a written promise to appear at a
later date. The others arrested after police said they tried to buy drugs are:

Virgil Spiers, 48, of 332 South Main St., Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess freebase cocaine and released on a promise to appear.

Cindy Barrella, 32, of 22 Roosevelt Ave., Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess cocaine and conspiracy to possess freebase cocaine and
released on a promise to appear in court.

Cathy Reichenberg, 36, of 60 Travis St., Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess cocaine and conspiracy to possess freebase cocaine.

Marilyn Brown, 38, of 432 South Main St., Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess freebase cocaine and held on a $5,000 bond that was
reduced to $500 in court.

Amy Pepin, 28, of 63 Hoffman St., in Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess freebase cocaine and released on a promise to appear in
court.

Tammy Libby, 38, of 839 Main St., Torrington; charged with criminal attempt
to possess freebase cocaine and released on a promise to appear in court.

Karen Lamontagne (Nejaime), 36, of 45 Hornfisher Terrace, Torrington;
charged with criminal attempt to possess freebase cocaine and held on a
$5,000 bond that was reduced to $2,500 in court.

Andrew "BlackJack" Williams, 60, of 337 Funston Ave., Torrington; charged
with criminal attempt to possess freebase cocaine and held on a $5,000 bond
that was upheld in court.

Sheila Phair, 34, of 65 Upson Ave., Winsted; charged with criminal attempt
to possess freebase cocaine and held on a $5,000 bond that was reduced to
$2,500 in court.

William Canty, 37, of 12 Hardy St., Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess freebase cocaine and held on a $5,000 bond that was
upheld in court.

Richard Nightingale, 38, of 128 Bouge Road, Harwinton; charged with
criminal attempt to possess freebase cocaine and held on a $10,000 bond
that was reduced to $5,000 in court.

Lynn Church, 51, of 31 Wheeler Lane, Torrington; charged with criminal
attempt to possess freebase cocaine and released on a promise to appear.

John Eykelhoff, 41, of 59 Case Road, Bantam; charged with criminal attempt
to possess freebase cocaine and drug paraphernalia and held on $10,000 bond
that was upheld in court.