Photo: Jared Brosnan/WBZ NewsRadio
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Springfield-based staffer for Gov. Maura Healey was arrested Tuesday night on charges including cocaine trafficking, authorities said Wednesday.
LaMar Cook, of Springfield, also faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators assigned to the case have seized around 21 kilograms of suspected cocaine to date, including around 8 kg that were intercepted over the weekend during a “controlled delivery” at the Springfield State Office building, according to the DA’s office.
Investigators then executed a search warrant of Cook’s office, the DA’s office said. Cook served as deputy director of the governor’s Western Massachusetts office, but has since been fired.
"The conduct that occurred here is unacceptable and represents a major breach of the public trust. Mr. Cook has been terminated from his position effective immediately. This criminal investigation is ongoing, and our administration will work with law enforcement to assist them in their work,” a spokesperson for Healey said in a statement.
According to Cook’s LinkedIn page, he has served in the position since 2023.
The DA’s office said the charges against Cook stem from two previous drug seizures on Oct. 10.
Investigators discovered two suspicious packages at Hotel UMass in Amherst that contained around 13 kg of suspected cocaine. The DA’s office said evidence from that seizure was consistent with the drugs recovered during the controlled delivery in Springfield.
Cook is scheduled to be arraigned in Springfield District Court on Wednesday. The investigation is ongoing and active, according to the DA’s office.