Page 8 - Summer 2017 Final
P. 8
Department of Justice Honors
MSP Investigators
On May 16, 2017, the the four responsible individuals.
United States Attorney’s Office Trooper Concannon’s tenacity and
for the District of Massachusetts commitment to removing drug
held its annual Law Enforcement traffickers from our community
Public Service Awards ceremony. continued for the next two years.
The event, held in Boston, As a result, six more persons
recognized members of the were arrested and more than
Massachusetts State Police five kilograms of cocaine, two
and other members of law kilograms of heroin, and drug
enforcement for intensive and paraphernalia were seized. For
selfless work in investigating such his actions that led directly to
crimes as narcotics trafficking, the arrest of a dangerous subject
child pornography and child or the exposure of a significant
rape, gang activity, and a murder-for-hire scheme, criminal conspiracy, Trooper Mark Concannon was
as well as for apprehending a desperate fugitive. presented with the Investigative Excellence Award.
“Year after year, we conduct investigations TROOPER JOSEPH MERRICK
in Massachusetts that are fast paced, wide-
ranging, and complex,” Acting United State On the night of November 14, 2015, a
Attorney William D. Weinreb said. “The success 35-year-old man broke into a weapons vault
of those investigations is due to the outstanding inside the Lincoln Stoddard United States Army
public servants who are being honored today. Reserve Center in Worcester. The man, as it was
Through their skill and dedication, they have later revealed, had stolen six M-4 Carbine machine
helped to achieve justice for numerous victims guns and ten M-11 handguns. The following
of violent, drug, and white collar crime.” morning, the man made his way to New York
where he was ultimately arrested by the FBI a
Those from the Massachusetts State Police few days later. The suspect was detained on the
who were honored are as follow. federal weapons charges; however, on December
31, 2016, he escaped from the Wyatt Detention
TROOPER MARK CONCANNON Facility in Central Falls, R.I., prompting an intensive
Over the course of two years, Trooper manhunt. Five days later, he attempted to rob two
Mark Concannon demonstrated remarkable banks, one in Cambridge and then a second one in
skill, leadership, creativity, determination, and Somerville. Trooper Joseph Merrick, responding to
perseverance pursuing three different groups the area of the Somerville bank robbery, observed
of drug traffickers in Boston and Lawrence. the suspect and slowed his cruiser to confront
Trooper Concannon began the investigation him. As Trooper Merrick did so, the man fled.
making controlled buys of oxycodone and heroin Trooper Merrick chased the fugitive on foot and
from a drug trafficker. In only six weeks, Trooper was eventually able to grab him as he attempted
Concannon’s work led to the seizure of more to scale a fence. With the assistance of other
than three kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of troopers and officers, the suspect was placed in
heroin, two fully loaded handguns and the arrest of custody. Trooper Merrick exhibited exemplary
F r en c h·a n d·E le c t r ic·B l ue·S umm er·2017·p a g e·8
