Local men indicted on drug trafficking, child rape charges

SALEM – Two local men have been indicted on separate cases for drugs and child rape crimes by an Essex County grand jury.Omar Lopez, 29, of 39 Cherry St., Apt., 2, Lynn, stands charged with trafficking over 14 grams of cocaine in connection with his arrest in Salem in September.It was about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 5 when Salem Police Officer Kristian Hanson pulled Lopez over on Lafayette Street for operating his BMW on a suspended license.During an inventory of the vehicle, police said they found 14-plus grams of cocaine.He faces a minimum mandatory punishment of three years in state prison, with no chance of early parole, if convicted.Assistant District Attorney A.J. Camelio is prosecuting the case for the commonwealth.Also indicted was: Robert Banks, 18, of 9 Hamilton Road, Peabody, who is charged with rape of a child involving sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old Danvers girl at her home on Sept. 18.The suspect apparently went to the girl’s home with a friend and allegedly had sexual intercourse with the underage teenage girl in her bedroom.A conviction of the charge carries a potential life sentence in state prison.Assistant District Attorney Marsha L. Slingerland is assigned to prosecute the case.An indictment is not an indication of guilt. Rather, a grand jury found sufficient evidence to warrant a jury trial in Superior Court, allowing for a more severe punishment.