Hearing continued for trio nabbed on drug charges in Peabody

PEABODY – A judge Thursday continued a dangerousness hearing for three men charged with cocaine trafficking until Jan. 17, allowing their attorneys to prepare for the case.”A case this complicated? is not something anyone wants to do off the top of their head,” said attorney Joseph Collins, who is representing one of the three suspects, Jason Grilli, after a brief hearing Thursday morning in Peabody District Court.Gerardo Rodriguez Flores, 27, of Tucson, Ariz., Grilli, 38, of Laval, Quebec and Valentine Torres, 33, of Juarez, N.M. pleaded innocent to trafficking in cocaine and conspiracy to violate drug laws at their Dec. 22 arraignment in Peabody District Court.Two of the three suspects had new lawyers at the Thursday hearing.Judge Sabita Singh on Thursday granted the continuance and ordered the men held without bail until their next court appearance.Peabody Police, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Essex County Drug Task Force arrested the men at the Holiday Inn on Newbury Street in Peabody after receiving a tip from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that a large drug deal was planned.Police set up surveillance and arrested Grilli in the hotel’s parking lot with a duffel bag containing 11 kilos of cocaine worth approximately $1.1 million, according to police reports. The other men were arrested inside the hotel, the report stated.Canadian police officials told the Daily Item the drugs were believed to be headed to Quebec.Peabody Police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said he believed the incident involved the largest recovery of drugs in Peabody during his 23 years on the force.Cyrus Moulton may be reached at [email protected].