D.A. drops drug trafficking charges against Lynn man

SALEM – District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office had to drop narcotic charges against a Lynn man Monday after a judge ruled a state trooper did not have the right to interact with the passenger in a taxi cab.Anthony Collins, 29, of 10 Pleasant St., #105, stood charged with trafficking over 28 grams of heroin and trafficking over 14 grams of cocaine in connection with his arrest in the early morning of Jan. 21 when State Trooper Joseph Barteaux pulled over a yellow cab for a motor vehicle infraction at the corner of Commercial and South Common Streets.Collins, a passenger, was seated in the back seat with a black bag next to him on the seat. Collins apparently appeared extremely nervous as the trooper began questioning him about the bag while asking for his identification.At some point, Collins threw the bag at the trooper and ran from the taxi.The trooper gave pursuit, but Collins was able to flee without being captured.Authorities were able to issue a warrant for his arrest because of the identification he had left behind.Police found more than 28 grams of heroin and 14-plus grams of cocaine in the bag.Defense attorney Rebecca E. Whitehill challenged the legality of questioning Collins, arguing that the trooper had no legal right to request his identification document or otherwise interact with him because no suspicion existed to believe that Collins had committed, was committing or was about to commit a crime.Judge Timothy Q. Feeley agreed with Whitehill following a hearing in Salem Superior Court and tossed out the drugs the trooper had seized as evidence at trial.