HIGH SCHOOL DRUG RING EXPOSED

FALMOUTH - Three Falmouth High School seniors and a Mashpee High
School dropout were among nine teens arrested on drug charges during
early morning raids yesterday.

The arrests came after a four-month undercover investigation by
Falmouth police and 23-year-old Kaitlin Keane, an employee with the
Barnstable County Sheriff's Department who posed as a senior at
Falmouth High School.

Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe said the probe
shut down a "fairly significant" drug network at the school.

Four 17-year-olds, two of them wearing flip-flops and the others
wearing only white athletic socks on their feet, pleaded not guilty
at their arraignments in Falmouth District Court. [3 names redacted]
all were charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to
distribute marijuana and distributing marijuana. [name redacted] is
also charged with selling drugs on school grounds, which carries a
heavier penalty. They were all released on $500 cash bail.

The fourth teen, [name redacted], was charged with conspiracy to
violate the controlled substance act. He was released on personal recognizance.

[name redacted], who wears a hearing aid, answered his charges
through sign language. Meanwhile, [name redacted]'s mother fought
back tears during the arraignment of her son, a former Mashpee High
student, She declined to comment as she left the court.

Five Falmouth High juveniles, including one girl, were also arraigned
behind closed doors in a separate courtroom. Those juveniles included
four 16-year-olds and one 14-year-old. Police do not release the
names of juvenile defendants.

Police are also investigating vandalism and alcohol-related crimes
uncovered during the investigation.

Early Morning Arrests

Many of the teenagers and their parents were still sleeping when
officers arrived at their doors at 6 o'clock yesterday morning, police said.

School employees were notified of the arrests by e-mail yesterday morning.

At an 11 a.m. press conference, police showed evidence gathered in a
Falmouth Center home that included a bag stuffed with $6,380 worth of
marijuana, $3,500 in cash, glass pipes, smoking papers, cigars and a
coffee grinder. They refused to release the street address.

Chris Bartolomei, one of the Falmouth officers involved in the early
morning arrests, said one teen's father was surprised at the knock on
his door, but he was cooperative. He said when police entered the
teen's bedroom, some of the drug paraphernalia was in the open. The
teen had $351 cash in his wallet and more stuffed in a cigar box.

Investigators said 32 drug buys, monitored by Falmouth detectives,
were made during the probe. Twenty purchases were on school grounds -
some of them arranged and made during business and woodworking
classes, according to court records. In all, 40 criminal charges were filed.

Falmouth Police Chief David Cusolito said investigators approached
school administrators after being tipped off about increased drug
activity and violence at the high school.

A woman whose son was arraigned in juvenile court said she heard
Keane, the undercover officer, was smoking pot to gain the trust of
student dealers.

"It's a form of entrapment if you asked me," she said.

Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings said he's not surprised
someone would try to discredit Keane, but she was instructed, as all
undercover agents are, not to do drugs.

"She did a great job," Cummings said.

Parents Applaud Effort

Susan King, waiting for her daughter in the parking lot of Falmouth
High School, said she appreciates the effort by law enforcement.

"I want a safe environment for my child, I'm glad they're paying
attention to what's going on inside the school," she said.

Another parent, who asked that her name not be used, said she
believes there is peer pressure for students to do drugs at Falmouth High.

"I'm all for it," she said of the undercover investigation. "They
should do it more often."

O'Keefe called the undercover effort "courageous."

"You want to be cognizant of the rights of individual students," he
said, "but you have to balance that with the rights of all of the
students and the parents of that school to have their kids - when
they leave in the morning - enter an environment to do what they're
there for, and that is to learn and not be distracted by this type of
illegal activity."

School officials embraced the drug investigation, but made it clear
they believe a small minority of students are involved in drug abuse.

"This will help us send a message that smoking marijuana, using
illegal drugs is a very wrong thing to do," said Supt. Dennis
Richards, sitting next to law enforcement officials at the police station.

Later, Richards said the students involved would face disciplinary
action that could include suspension or, ultimately, expulsion. That
process is under way.

Falmouth High principal Paul Cali said the sting involved only nine
students out of 1,230 at the school and likely made a "huge dent" in
drug activity at the school.

O'Keefe said the backgrounds of the students will be taken into
consideration as the case proceeds, but he added that it was a
"fairly impressive" amount of drugs and money involved. "I understand
there are going to be people upset by this, but school officials and
the police have a job to do."