Two men convicted for 2006 Saugus drug bust

SALEM – Two men caught dealing cocaine in Saugus in 2006 confessed Friday to reduced charges in Salem Superior Court.Francisco Garcia, 26, who last lived at 60 Archdale Road in Roslindale, changed his plea from innocent to guilty confessing to a lesser charge of trafficking over 14 grams of cocaine, as well as possession of heroin.He was sentenced to serve not less than three years and not more than five years in state prison.Garcia had been charged with trafficking over 28 grams of cocaine, which carries a minimum punishment of five years in prison.His accomplice, Rey Fulcar, 22, of 32 Whitney St., Boston, pleaded to a reduced charge of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and received 30 months in jail.His confession to a reduced charge spared Fulcar a five-year prison term.Judge David A. Lowy followed the recommended sentences of men offered by Assistant District Attorney Marsha H. Slingerland and defense lawyers Andrew L. Benson and Deborah B. McWade, respectively.In the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2006, state police observed two black cars with tinted windows driving south on Route 1 in Saugus side by side.Police followed the vehicles and stopped one of the cars on a traffic violation as it pulled into the Avalon Motel in Saugus.A knife was seen in plain view in the car and police smelled an odor of marijuana inside the vehicle driven by Garcia. Fulcar was his passenger.The men said they were staying at the motel and they agreed to let troopers search room #19, which was registered to Fulcar.Inside authorities found a gym bag with a total of 30 plus grams of cocaine and a small quantity of heroin inside along with a scale, $1,324 in cash, and paperwork linking Garcia to the bag.Both men have been held in custody in lieu of bail and will receive credit towards their term of incarceration.