Police Arrest Manchester Couple on Drug Charges

Two Manchester residents were arrested after a Wednesday, April 23, buy/bust operation. The two allegedly sold crack cocaine from a parking lot of a Route 83 bar, according to Manchester Police Sgt. Rick Grimaldi.

At approximately 6 p.m. Wednesday, members of the East Central Narcotics Taskforce were conducting a buy/bust operation on a crack cocaine dealer with the street name of “Money” in Sweetheart’s bar parking lot on Route 83 in Vernon.  

Prior to the operation, the suspected dealer, “Money” was identified as Mark Alicea. He was taken into custody without incident after he and his girlfriend, Lizmarie Negron, were observed allegedly selling crack cocaine in the parking lot. Negron was also taken into custody without incident, police said.

Alicea, 27, was arrested on the following charges:

• Sale of a controlled substance (two counts)
• Possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school
• Possession of narcotics
• Illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension

Negron, 20, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess narcotics and conspiracy to sell narcotics.

Their Manchester home, located at 9 Avon St., was searched by police. In total, the following items were seized via the drug bust and search of the home:

• 10 bags of heroin (bust)
• 1.5 grams of crack cocaine (bust)
• 1992 Buick LeSabre (bust)
• Three grams of heroin (home search)
• 10 folds of heroin packaged for sale (home search)
• Two grams of crack cocaine (home search)
• Packaging material (home search)

Due to the findings of the home search, an arrest warrant will be drafted charging Alicea for additional violations of Connecticut General Statutes, according to police.

Alicea was issued a $75,000 surety bond. Taskforce members also served three separate arrest warrants on Alicea for sale and possession of a controlled substance.

“Alicea has a long criminal history in Connecticut, and has been arrested in the past for sale of narcotics,” Grimaldi said.