One suspect in cocaine bust pleads not guilty
Published 12:00 am Friday, December 20, 2002
Carolina Pena, who was accused of possessing cocaine in her house, pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Pena, 33, was arrested in a raid at 327 Main St. Nov. 15. Albert Lea Police Department investigators found more than 900 grams of cocaine in the residence. Rafael Gallardo, 32, who lived in the same house, was also arrested.
The police suspect that Pena and Gallardo were dealing drugs. A surveillance camera watching over the entrance door was attached to a tree, and was connected to a TV monitor was in the kitchen. There were two guns found in the house and one more gun was found where Gallardo works, according to the investigation.
Pena asserts that she did not know about the drugs in her house. She also contends that she did not understand what was going on during the raid, and questions the validity of the search-warrant execution.
Pena is being held in the county jail under $200,000 bond. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis took over the case against Gallardo, and he is now in federal custody.