Judge Questions Warrant In Salem-Beverly Joint Drug Investigation

SALEM, MA — Prosecutors were given time following a Friday hearing in Salem Superior Court to respond to a defense motion to quash evidence, including five bags of fentanyl seized during a Salem drug bust last year.

According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, Salem Superior Court Judge James Lang said an affidavit "has holes that may imperil its validity" because it did not make clear how a confidential informant knew Eric Jalbert, 31, and Jessica Cote, 36, were dealing drugs from their Salem apartment. Salem and Beverly police began investigating Jalbert and Cote after complaints from families of two people who died of overdoses. The search warrant, which turned up 40 grams of fentanyl, was executed in January 2019.