April 15, 2015
Montgomery County District Attorney's Office/Handout
Erik Lopez (L) and Gladiz Basurto-Leal (R).
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman announced Wednesday that an amount of heroin valued at approximately $330,000 was seized in Norristown.
The seizure resulted from an investigation spurred by recommendations from authorities to curb heroin overdoses. Detectives intercepted a conversation Monday between a male located in Mexico and a male in the United States regarding the transaction of a large amount of heroin. The male in Mexico put the U.S.-based male in contact with people living in Southeastern Pennsylvania to help facilitate the transaction.
The investigation led detectives to search the home of Erik Lopez on 541 Arch Street in Norristown on Tuesday. The search resulted in the seizure of one kilogram of heroin, a pistol, and an unspecified amount of U.S. currency.
The amount of the drug recovered in the search was significant, according to the District Attorney.
"Yesterday’s seizure is significant not only because of the value of the heroin but also for the quantity of heroin that law enforcement has prevented from getting into the hands of those whose lives would be destroyed by this deadly drug," Ferman said Wednesday.
Lopez, along with Gladiz Basurto-Leal, were arrested Tuesday. Each defendant's bail is set at $500,000. They are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 21.
