Morton Hospital security nab three persons including patient selling cocaine
TAUNTON MA Oct 16 2017 — Three people, including a patient, who police say engaged in a crack-cocaine transaction in a hospital room last week will be summoned into district court to face drug charges.
Taunton police say they were alerted at 10 p.m. by Morton Hospital’s security department that the three had been observed by nurses making the deal.
The patient, a 48-year-old Taunton woman, was allegedly found in the bathroom of her room with a visitor, identified as 53-year-old Betty L. Rogers, also of Taunton.
The two allegedly were caught by a security officer holding a glass, crack pipe and several small pieces of the narcotic, police said.
Police said in addition to the pipe and cocaine, they found a receipt for a $40 withdrawal made about 40 minutes earlier from the ATM on the building’s first floor.
Police said they retrieved a Direct Express Mastercard — a prepaid debit card available to recipients of electronically transferred federal benefits — that allegedly was used to make the withdrawal.
Hospital security told police they managed to intercept and detain a man, identified as Michael A. Alifonso, 35, of Norton, as he exited the room.
Alifonso allegedly told police he had come to the hospital “to visit a friend” and wasn’t aware of any illegal activity.
When police told him that he and Rogers were caught on video using the ATM and then heading back to the patient’s room, he allegedly handed over $40 from his pocket to an officer.
Rogers, meanwhile, allegedly told police she had no knowledge of any crack cocaine and was with the patient in her bathroom, because they “always use the bathroom together.”
Police say the patient told them the $40 was in her purse.
Police said there was no $40 in the purse but said they did find as many as 20 hypodermic needles, several of them uncapped; a number of empty Fireball whiskey nips; a small bag of pot; and a “very large, plastic bag” containing various prescription medications.
Alifonso, police said, is being charged with distributing a Class B substance and conspiracy to violate drug laws.
Rogers will be charged with conspiracy to violate drug laws.
The patient, police said, will face arraignment for Class B possession and conspiracy.
taunton gazette
