Lynn police make heroin bust

LYNN-Before stating in a police report that Tedeschi’s on Lewis Street is a convenience store that is “becoming a popular meeting place for people seeking narcotics in the City of Lynn,” police became suspicious while observing the motions of a man sitting in the store parking lot on Sunday.Shortly after 3 p.m., officers noticed a man in a blue Chevrolet pickup truck in the far corner of the lot. The man went into the store, returned back to his vehicle and sat in it for about 10 minutes, police said.Afterward, the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot and drove up Lewis Street to Chatham Street, where it allegedly made a left turn without signaling.Police pulled over the vehicle and identified the driver as a 34-year-old Somersworth, N.H. man. He allegedly told police he had just come from Fall River and was heading home.Police were skeptical and asked if he was in possession narcotics, to which he allegedly replied, “Yes? I have heroin in my left sock.”The officers removed two plastic bags containing a brown powdery substance believed to be heroin from the man’s left sock, police said.During questioning, the man said he drove to Tedeschi’s to meet a man named “Mike” to buy more heroin. However, when the man noticed marked police cruisers circling the area, he phoned Mike to change the meeting place to the parking lot of Monte’s restaurant on Eastern Avenue, police said.When police realized they could possibly intercept a drug transaction, they asked the man if he would agree to cooperate, and he did.Police sent the man to the parking lot of Monte’s minutes later and met with two men who allegedly sold him heroin.The alleged drug dealer was identified as Joseph M. Simmons, 29, of 3 Longvale Lane, Amesbury. His passenger was identified as Michael J. Balboni, 38, of 39 Lafayette Park, Lynn.Simmons was charged with distribution of over 28 grams of a class A drug (heroin) and distribution within 100 feet of a park. Balboni, who police said had no heroin on his person, was charged with conspiracy to violate drug laws.The New Hampshire man who cooperated with police will be summonsed to court for possession of heroin.On Sept. 28, 2007, Balboni was arrested in Lynn and charged with unlicensed possession of ammunition and violating a city knife ordinance.