Police: Man sold crystal meth to undercover officer
Jun. 28—IPSWICH — A Kingston man accused of selling half a pound of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover police officer over the weekend was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail, following his arraignment Monday in Ipswich District Court, located in Newburyport.
However, since Derick Kaplinger, 50, of Bay View Avenue was already out on bail after being charged in September with multiple drug charges out of Plymouth District Court, his release was revoked by Ipswich District Court Judge Peter Doyle.
Locally, Kaplinger was charged with methamphetamine trafficking over 200 grams, and two counts of possession to distribute Class B and E drugs. His next court date is scheduled for July 27 for a pretrial hearing.
Essex County prosecutor Paolo Cosmo asked Doyle to hold Kaplinger on $100,000 cash bail, saying he faced a mandatory minimum of 12 years in jail if convicted. Cosmo also argued that due to Kaplinger's criminal record and the number of court appearances he has skipped, he posed a great risk to flee.
Kaplinger's court-appointed attorney, Stephen Roth, asked bail be set at no more than $5,000, arguing his client was a drug addict and was selling drugs to feed his habit. Roth also said Kaplinger was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Somalia.
Ipswich police Detective Edward Gallivan was contacted Wednesday by a Somerville police officer who was tracking Kaplinger, a reported Greater Boston drug dealer, by posing as a buyer. The Somerville officer told Gallivan that he set up a meet with Kaplinger in Ipswich with the intention of buying a half pound of crystal meth.
"Derick did not have a problem with traveling to Ipswich and told the UC (undercover officer) that he has traveled to Gloucester, Massachusetts to sell drugs," Gallivan wrote in his report, adding that the meet was set for Saturday in a Route 1 parking lot.
Gallivan contacted the Drug Enforcement Agency and asked for assistance in the form of the buy money.
The day of the buy, local and DEA officials met in the parking lot and waited. Kaplinger arrived about 2:30 p.m. in a red car driven by a woman. Both Kaplinger and the driver left the car but only he walked over to the undercover officer who had already arrived.
The officer then handed over $3,500 and was given half a pound of crystal meth by Kaplinger. That prompted officers to swoop in and detain him and the woman behind the wheel.
Police searched Kaplinger and found two knives and different kinds of "illicit drugs," Gallivan wrote in his report.
The driver told police she was asked by Kaplinger's cousin to give him a ride to Ipswich and had no idea she was driving him to a drug deal. She also told officers they could search the car. Inside they found a black backpack. There were no other drugs in the car.
In all, police seized 228 grams of crystal meth, a gram of cocaine, and numerous types of prescription drugs. Other than crystal meth residue inside a plastic container, there were no drugs inside the backpack, according to Gallivan's report.
The driver was not charged, according to court documents.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
