Man busted for drugs in Peabody indicted

SALEM – A Malden man who was out on bail on a drug trafficking case and was allegedly arrested in Peabody with narcotics has been indicted by an Essex County grand jury.David Ledbury, 37, of 378 Lebanon St., Malden, is charged with possession with the intent to distribute opana, which is twice as potent as OxyContin and classified as a Class B substance.On the afternoon of May 3, Peabody Police Detective David Murphy, along with other officers, was conducting undercover surveillance inside the Northshore Mall parking lot in Peabody when they stopped a gray colored Honda near the Barnes and Noble Book Store for a motor vehicle infraction.Ledbury, who was a passenger inside the vehicle, was reportedly observed by police reaching down inside the vehicle as they approached.Police searched the area where he was reaching and found 31 opana pills in the back seat, a grader and $1,141 in cash on his person.Assistant District Attorney Jessica Strasnick is prosecuting the case.Indictments are a legal process that allows a case to be transferred from District Court to Superior Court allowing for a more severe punishment. It is not an indication of guilt.