Press Release: 6/25/2025

Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Federal, State and Local Partners Lead Investigation Resulting in Seizures of Fentanyl and Counterfeit Pills Containing Illicit Narcotics

 



POSTED ON: JUNE 24, 2025 - 2:50PM



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MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE – Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble and Acting Medford Chief of Police Paul Covino have announced charges that are the result of two separate investigations conducted collaboratively with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other state and federal partners to disrupt large scale drug distribution efforts in Middlesex County.



“These large-scale drug operations are the focus of our investigative work when it comes to addressing the opioid epidemic that continues to be a persistent public safety and public health priority. Through federal, state and local partnerships, significant resources were dedicated to interrupting these very high level, calculated schemes.  Counterfeit pills, in particular, pose a serious risk to public safety and health. Users are intentionally led to believe that they are taking a drug they may be familiar with, but are instead consuming drugs such as Methamphetamine or, in some cases, Fentanyl.  Fentanyl is highly lethal and one pill may prove deadly. The result of this work is that thousands of grams of illegal drugs, worth tens of thousands of dollars, have been removed from the streets,” said District Attorney Ryan.  



On Saturday, June 6, 2025, Massachusetts State Police Detectives assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office along with the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant in connection with an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking operation where individuals, identified as Claude Pelissier, 37, and Felicia DiPietrantonio, 37 both of Somerville, were allegedly in possession of large amounts of narcotics including fentanyl, suboxone strips and pills, some of which appeared to be packaged for sale. In the search of Felicia DiPietrantonio’s home police seized:




  • 52 grams of suspected crack/cocaine,

  • Approximately 68 grams of suspected fentanyl,

  • Suboxone strips,

  • Numerous unidentified pills,

  • Drug paraphernalia to include cutting agents, plastic baggies and a scale.

  • $5,800 cash



Both Claude Pelissier and Felicia DiPietrantonio have been charged with trafficking cocaine, over 36 grams; trafficking heroin/morphine/opium/fentanyl, in 36 grams or more; possession of a Class B substance; and conspiracy to violate the drug laws. Their arraignment is scheduled for August 25, 2025, in Somerville District Court.



A few days later, on June 10, 2025, at approximately 6:01 a.m., members of the Middlesex State Police Detective Unit, DEA Portsmouth Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Medford Police Department executed a search warrant in the basement apartment of a residence on Bowdoin Street, Medford.  That warrant was the culmination of a two-month long investigation by the various law enforcement agencies.



As a result, John Dinius, 30, of Medford, was arrested for allegedly operating a high-level drug trafficking scheme.  Dinius is alleged to have been manufacturing counterfeit pills, mimicking the appearance of actual prescription medications, such as Adderall and Xanax.  The pills were actually made from illicit narcotics, including Methamphetamine.  That search led to seizure of the following items:




  • 571 grams of white bar-shaped pills (Counterfeit Xanax)

  • 466 grams of orange oval-shaped pills (Counterfeit Adderall)

  • 1454 grams of blue bar-shaped pills (Counterfeit Xanax)

  • 80 grams of Cocaine

  • 138 grams of Crystal Methamphetamine

  • 18 grams of Oxycodone pills

  • A mechanically-operated pill press.



Field testing conducted by the Massachusetts State Police Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team (CLET) of the pressed/counterfeit pills listed above all tested positive for the presence of Methamphetamine.



Dinius was arraigned in Somerville District Court and charged with trafficking in Methamphetamine over 200 grams; trafficking in Cocaine, 36-100 grams; possession with intent to distribute class B, oxycodone; and conspiracy to violate the drug law. Dinius was ordered held on $75,000 bail. The next date in this case is July 10, 2025, for a probable cause hearing.