Couple targeted Milford Brazilian population with 'plethora of drugs,' police say

MILFORD — A man has been arrested and a woman summonsed on charges they ran what police are describing as a "mobile pharmacy."

Maxsuel Ferreira Andrade, 26, and Renata De Lima, 37, both of Acton, are the first of several people expected to be charged, according to Police Chief Robert Tusino.

"It's just one of many dominoes that will be falling as a result of a multi-agency investigation," he said.

Tusino said the pair have been under investigation for several months. They allegedly targeted communities with large Brazilian populations to sell medication.

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"They were selling a plethora of drugs," said Tusino. "Antibiotics, anti-depressants. You name it and they were selling it."

Tusino said investigators who were working undercover arranged to buy clonazepam, an anti-anxiety medication. When the pair allegedly sold the medication to officers on Jan. 5, Andrade was arrested and a summons was issued for De Lima.

Police are charging each of them with distribution of a Class C substance; possession of a Class C substance; conspiracy to violate the drug laws; and endangerment of a child.

The child endangerment charge was due to the pair having a young child in the car with them when they allegedly sold the drugs, Tusino said.

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Liliana Costa, executive director of the Brazilian-American Center in Framingham, said this type of activity can succeed because some people feel as if they do not have other options.

"I think these incidents are because of the lack of options for medical care, costs, lack of information and some cultural issues," she said.

Costa said people who try to make these kinds of sales should not be supported.

"I don't think these people play an important role," she said. "The majority of people in the Brazilian community do not agree or condone these situations."

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Tusino said buying unregulated medication without a prescription can be dangerous.

"You don't know what you're really getting," he said. "You really don't know what they're selling."

Andrade was arraigned Monday in Milford District Court and released on $1,000 bail. He is due back in court on March 7 for a pretrial conference.

It's unknown when De Lima's first court appearance will be.

Andrade's lawyer, Stephen Bitsoli, did not return a call seeking comment.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Milford police: Illegal prescription drugs sold to Brazilian community