Man arraigned in cocaine bust

By Julie Manganis
Staff writer

January 13, 2009 12:11 am

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SALEM — A Pope Street man arrested with more than an ounce of cocaine, enough to charge him with drug trafficking, is a new father who had lost his job and was trying to find a new one, his lawyer said yesterday.

Nathan Ambrozavitch, 24, had just had a second interview for a city job (his lawyer wouldn't say which city) when Salem police showed up at his 12 Pope St. apartment with a search warrant on Friday night, his lawyer, William Barabino, said.

Now, Ambrozavitch is being held on $50,000 cash bail, charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and two counts of violating the drug laws in a school zone.

A second person in the apartment, Thomas Rubano, 19, of 11 Pyburn Ave., Salem, is expected to be arraigned tomorrow on similar charges. Ambrozavitch's girlfriend and the mother of their 1-year-old son, Jillian O'Keefe, will be summonsed to court on the same charges, police said.

Salem police, led by Capt. Paul Tucker, found bags of marijuana on an entertainment center and in a bedroom, bags of cocaine in a bedroom, as well as two lines of cocaine on a piece of glass on a dresser, Lt. Conrad Prosniewski said.

Police also found $2,800 in cash tucked into the pocket of a pair of shorts.

Barabino said Ambrozavitch has "strong" support, pointing to a group of 10 people in the courtroom, including O'Keefe, who cried throughout the arraignment.

After both Ambrozavitch and O'Keefe lost their jobs recently, "the circumstances were such that he now finds himself in this position," said Barabino, adding that both hoped to move forward, with Ambrozavitch hopeful of getting a city job and O'Keefe starting college.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4.