SWAMPSCOTT — The feds seized an ex-Swampscott police officer's Hummer SUV because it was purchased with drug money, according to a DEA legal notice.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it seized a 2003 Hummer H2 from Thomas Wrenn, the former patrolman who is facing charges of dealing prescription drugs — at times while on duty and in uniform. He resigned from the force last month citing "personal reasons."
In a legal notice published Monday, the DEA said it seized the Hummer "because the property was used or acquired as a result of a violation of the Controlled Substances Act."
It was seized on March 13 — the same day federal agents arrested Wrenn in Lynn, where authorities say he bought 50 Percocet pills outside the front door of the Green Tea Chinese Restaurant from an associate, who, unknown to Wrenn, was cooperating with law enforcement.
Under the law, Wrenn has the right to petition to get his car back, citing hardship, but authorities could not be reached yesterday to comment on whether he filed a petition or if the car was returned to him.
Wrenn, a 10-year veteran of the Swampscott Police Department, pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to distribute the painkiller oxycodone, which is the active ingredient in OxyContin. Wrenn, of Nahant, is a married father of two.
After his arrest, Wrenn admitted to authorities he had been using cocaine and Percocet. Federal prosecutors say he admitted to providing Percocet to five other people, including a former Nahant cop and four women in their 20s.
Prosecutors have accused Wrenn of routinely using and distributing drugs for more than a year, even out in the open at local bars. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in jail.
Wrenn did not return a phone message left at his Nahant home yesterday morning. His attorney, Tracy Miner, did not return a message left at her Boston office.
When the charges were filed against Wrenn, the Swampscott selectmen placed him on unpaid leave and had planned to hold a hearing on his employment status. His resignation in April effectively thwarted any disciplinary action by the town and leaves him entitled to regular resignation benefits, including payment for unused vacation and personal time.
Wrenn has not applied for his pension with the Swampscott Retirement Board, nor has any department notified the board regarding Wrenn's pension, according to Richard DePesa, administrator for the Retirement Board.
Under state law, public employees can lose their pensions if convicted of certain offenses. Employees found guilty of a criminal offense involving the violation of the laws applicable to their specific position can lose their pensions.
A message left at the DEA's Boston office was not returned.
Miner, Wrenn's lawyer, said on March 24 at a probable cause hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston that there wasn't enough evidence against Wrenn to prove he distributed the drugs, and that a search of his car and house did not turn up any illicit substances.
