GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Police with the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force this week arrested three people on drug distribution and weapons charges in South Hadley and Greenfield. Those arrests were made thanks to a Project Safe Neighborhood grant awarded to the Northwestern DA’s Office from the Office of Gov. Maura Healey. 

More details from the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

 Project Safe Neighborhood initiative leads to multiple arrests on firearms, drug offenses 

Police with the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force this week arrested three people on drug distribution and weapons charges in South Hadley and Greenfield: 

•Arrested on June 25 in South Hadley was Antonio L. Colon Ortiz, 46, of Springfield, on charges of possession of heroin/fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; carrying a firearm without a license; firearm violation with 3 or more prior convictions for violent crimes; other criminal offenses.•Also arrested on June 25 was Joshua Giard, 39, of Guilford, Vt. on Main Street in Greenfield after police saw him brandish a gun he had pulled from his waistband. He faces charges of carrying a loaded firearm; carrying a large capacity firearm without a license; and possession of a large-capacity feeding device.•Arrested on June 24 also in Greenfield was Jouseph Martinez-Casanova, 35, of Greenfield, on two charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and Bupenorphine, after police observed him making an apparent drug sale on Maple Street in Greenfield.

Those arrests were made thanks to a Project Safe Neighborhood grant awarded to the Northwestern DA’s Office from the Office of Gov. Maura Healey. The $93,000 state grant covered the cost of a district-wide gun buyback effort held in April and also is funding efforts targeting the largest sources of illegal drugs in the district in an effort to stem the supply of drugs in the community. The anti-crime task force is made up of local police from 13 departments as well as three state police members attached to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office. 

In May, the task force made 13 arrests on weapons offenses, outstanding warrants, drug distribution and drug trafficking charges in Bernardston, Athol, Williamsburg, Erving, Turners Falls, Greenfield and Northampton. 

Criminal charges are based on probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime. 

All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.