Three people are facing crack cocaine possession and sales charges after Middletown Police say a North End woman allowed Hartford drug traffickers to sell narcotics from her apartment and customers to smoke it there, in exchange for crack.
On Jan. 3, the street crime unit and patrol division served a search warrant at 24 Liberty Street, second floor, after receiving numerous complaints from concerned residents about drug sales.
The report says the resident, Paula Wooten, 59, has been allowing narcotic traffickers from Hartford to sell large quantities of crack cocaine to area addicts at the beginning of each month inside the apartment since January 2012. It was also learned that crack cocaine users would purchase their crack cocaine and smoke it in the apartment with Wooten, police say.
Tykwell Walton (known as “Money”), 20, of White Street, Hartford, police say, was seen running with crack cocaine in his hands through the kitchen toward a bathroom to destroy evidence.
He is on probation for second-degree assault and carrying a pistol without a permit, from a February 2010 incident in East Hartford, in which he shot a man, the report says.
After a prolonged struggle, Walton was taken into custody, and found with a large sum of cash, a large piece of crack weighing 3.3 grams. On the countertop and floor of the area where Walton was taken into custody was another 4.6 grams of crack cocaine prepackaged for sale, police say.
There was also a razor blade and cellophane bags for packaging narcotics on the countertop, pieces of torn paper with Walton’s nickname and his phone number that he would hand to area addicts for sales, police say, and his phone continuously rang with would-be drug addicts looking to purchase crack cocaine
Detectives found Reginald Gaunichaux, 49, of Church Street in the living room area. He was also combative as he refused to open his mouth so detectives could ensure he was not swallowing narcotics, the report says.
There was crack cocaine smoking paraphernalia in the living room with a piece of crack cocaine and Gaunichaux refused to identify himself, the report says. A search revealed he had a gold badge indicating he was a “National Private Detective” with an identification card indicating the same with Gaunichaux’s photograph taped to it.
Soon after, police say, Gaunichaux began professing he was a “common person” and did not fall under the state of Connecticut’s jurisdiction. Gaunichaux’s phone had “Money’s” phone number, (as recently called) indicating he was there to purchase crack cocaine and he refused to be fingerprinted, fighting with officers in the booking area, police say.
Wooten was found in the rear bedroom and taken into custody after detectives had to pry crack cocaine smoking pipes and filtering media from her hands.
Walton was arrested and held on a $300,00 bond for: Possession of Crack Cocaine, Possession of Crack Cocaine With Intent to Sell, Possession of Crack Cocaine With Intent to Sell within 1,500 feet of a School, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in a School Zone, Interfering with the Execution of a Search Warrant and Operating a Drug Factory.
Wooten was arrested and released on a $10,000 non-surety bond: Conspiracy to Sell Crack Cocaine, Interfering with the Execution of a Search Warrant and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in a School Zone.
Gaunichaux was arrested and held on a $5,000 surety bond for: Possession of Crack Cocaine, Possession of Crack Cocaine within 1,500 fee of a School Zone, Interfering with the Execution of a Search Warrant, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia in a School Zone, Failure to Submit to Fingerprints.
Any citizens willing to give information concerning possible illegal activities are encouraged to contact Sgt. Rich Davis of the Street Crime Unit at (860) 344-3259. All information will remain anonymous.