Providence, RI — RI State Police’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force arrested four people, including two Warwick residents,  on marijuana distribution charges Jan. 12 in Providence.
In November, State Police received a complaint about unlicensed people providing marijuana to medical marijuana patient card holders at the Elevated Lounge, at 15 Peck Street in Providence.
“These individuals, who were associated with Rhode Island Care and Patients Services (RICAPS), were acting as an unlicensed compassion center and were allegedly providing marijuana to medical marijuana patient card holders, as well as people who did not have cards,” State Police Col. Steven G. O’Donnell announced in a press release send to media Wednesday afternoon.
During a HIDTA investigation, undercover officers purchased marijuana from four people at the Elevated Lounge. The four were identified, and a search warrant for the Elevated Lounge, as well as four arrest warrants, were obtained.
The task force executed the search warrant at Elevated Lounge Jan. 12, at 5 p.m. with the assistance of Providence Police.  The officers seized 21 bottles of liquid tincture THC, 93 bottles of cannabis syrup, 100 marijuana edible candies, 65 grams of marijuana and $2,426.00 in cash.
The officers also arrested Douglas Mulcahey, 25, of 42 Cherry St., Warwick, Alexis Byrd, 23, of 42 Cherry St., Warwick, Frank Pellegrino, 24, of 173 Pleasant St., Cranston, and Kevin Holmes, 24, of 144 Hendricks St., Providence.
The owner of the Elevated Lounge told Turnto10.com he was subleasing to RICAPS, but wouldn’t comment on the arrests because he didn’t know anything about them. He also said he had terminated their lease.
State Police allege Mulcahey and Byrd were in possession of the 21 bottles of liquid tincture THC, 93 bottles of cannabis syrup, 100 marijuana edible candies, 65 grams of marijuana, and charged him with Five counts of Delivery of Marijuana to a Police Officer and Two counts of Controlled Substance Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana.
State Police charged Byrd with Two counts of Controlled Substance Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana.
Police charged Pellegrino with one count of Delivery of Marijuana to a Police Officer and one count of Controlled Substance Conspiracy.
The task force members charged Holmes with one count of Delivery of Marijuana to a Police Officer and one count of Controlled Substance Conspiracy.
All four were held overnight at State Police Headquarters and will be presented at sixth Division District Court, One Dorrance Plaza, Providence, for arraignment.
The penalty for Delivery or Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana, is 30 years in prison and/or a fine between $3,000 and $100,000.
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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