Troopers Arrest Two Men with Firearm, Cocaine After Pursuit in Stolen Vehicle

At approximately 1:15 a.m. on November 29, Trooper Owen King, assigned to State Police-Shelburne Falls, was stationary observing traffic on Route 91 in Deerfield. At that time, Trooper King observed a blue Acura sedan pass his location with an unrecognizable license plate attached. Trooper King entered traffic, caught up to the vehicle, and confirmed the license plate did not return an active result. He then activated his cruiser’s blue lights, however, the Acura accelerated and led him on a pursuit. Within seconds the operator of the Acura lost control and crashed.

Trooper King arrived at the crash scene, quickly followed by Trooper Ryan Costello, and observed a man exit the Acura then begin fleeing on foot. The Troopers were quickly able to apprehend the man, later identified as DASHUA ROLDAN, 28, of East Hartford, Conn., after initially providing a false name. ROLDAN was later discovered to have a warrant for his arrest out of Dudley District Court. A passenger in the vehicle, identified as RAEKQWON EDWARDS, 28, of Hartford, Conn., was also placed under arrest. Once the scene was secure, Troopers conducted an inventory of the Acura’s contents. They located a loaded .45 caliber pistol with a defaced serial number, a loaded 9mm pistol, and various packages of substances suspected to be a combination of crack and powder cocaine, which were later weighed totaling 927 grams. Additionally, Troopers located various items and paraphernalia used in the consumption and distribution of illegal narcotics. After conducting a search of the VIN on the Acura, Troopers discovered the vehicle was reported stolen several weeks earlier from the Bronx, N.Y.

Both men were later booked with bail set at $10,000. They were scheduled for arraignment at Greenfield District Court on the following charges.

DASHUA ROLDAN:

1. Fail to Stop for Police;

2. Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle;

3. Possession of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony;

4. Possession of a Firearm with Defaced Serial Number;

5. Trafficking in Cocaine;

6. Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law;

7. Receiving Stolen Motor Vehicle;

8. Refuse to Identify Self to Police;

9. Carrying a Loaded Firearm;

10. Speeding;

11. License Plate Violation; and

12. Marked Lanes Violation.

RAEKQWON EDWARDS:

1. Possession of a Large Capacity Firearm in Commission of a Felony;

2. Trafficking in Cocaine;

3. Carrying a Loaded Firearm;

4. Conspiracy to Violate Drug Law; and

5. Receiving Stolen Motor Vehicle.

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