Lynn men indicted on separate drug charges

SALEM – Two Lynn men suspected of peddling narcotics were indicted on separate cases Wednesday afternoon by an Essex County grand jury.Jose R. Peralta, 51, of 22 Warren St., #21, is charged with trafficking over 14 grams of cocaine in connection with his arrest in Lynn on Dec. 6 when police raided his apartment and seized in excess of 14 grams of cocaine and $665 in cash, believed to be proceeds from drug sales.Edwardo G. Rios, also known as Carlos Pena Diaz, 34, of 93 Lynnway, #1, is charged with trafficking over 14 grams of heroin, a crime that will net him a mandatory five years in state prison if convicted.He was arrested on Sept. 2 when police executed a search warrant for a Lynnway home and reportedly found several fingers of heroin hidden in a backyard.Assistant District Attorney Michael Patten has been assigned to prosecute both cases.Indictments are not an indication of guilt, rather it is a legal process that allows a case to be transferred from Lynn District Court to Salem Superior Court.