R.I. woman charged with cocaine trafficking

LYNN – The girlfriend of a suspect who was arrested last week for trafficking cocaine was arraigned Tuesday on the same charges as her beau.Ruby Jasmine Hernandez, 31, of 178 Roosevelt St., #1, Providence, R.I., was charged with trafficking over 200 grams of cocaine, a class B substance, conspiracy to violate drug laws and drug violation near a school (Thurgood Marshall).Hernandez was arraigned at Lynn District Court by Judge Michael Lauranzano, who maintained bail set by the court clerk. She is due back in court Aug. 12 for a probable cause hearing.Hernandez will join her boyfriend, Jan Velazquez, 30, of Providence, R.I., at the hearing, who is currently being held on $750,000 cash bail on the same charges. Jose Villafane, 32, of Lincoln, R.I., was also arrested on the same charges and is being held on $250,000 cash bail.The drug bust stems from an arrest of Velazquez and Villafane on July 15 when the Lynn Drug Task Force retrieved a package containing approximately 500 grams of cocaine. Hernandez was not present at the time of their arrest, but was identified as Velazquez’s girlfriend who had traveled with him from Providence in order to get the package.U.S. Postal Inspector Michael McCarran informed police that Hernandez had participated in arranging the package pickup over the phone.A State Trooper was told Hernandez and Velazquez live together and that she was not only aware of the drug dealing, but that she actively participated in the packaging and sale of drugs.A safe, which contained a pistol and a large amount of cash proceeds from their drug dealing, was found underneath the Hernandez/Velazquez bed on the second floor of their apartment. Additional drugs earmarked for distribution were also found.On July 16, Hernandez, while waiting at Lynn District for Velazquez to be arraigned, was later arrested in the court’s lobby. She was not handcuffed as she is five months pregnant.During her booking, police found $3,795 in cash in her handbag, which was seized.