Weston Man Indicted in Watertown Drug Bust

A Watertown man is the focus of a federal drug investigation, in which nine were arrested on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, according to an affidavit filed in Boston Federal District Court.

Safwan "Sammy" Madarati of Watertown was caught with $70,040 in what federal authorities believe is drug money on June 14, 2010, according to the affidavit filed on April 20 by Special Agent Phillip Lavoie of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Other defendants in the case are: Vartan A. “V” Soukiasian of Belmont, Hagop N. “Jack” Sarkissian, of Weston, Antranic “Anto” Idanjian, of Waltham, Robert “Bobby” Johnson, of Stoneham, Sanusie Mo Kabba, of Stoughton, Jeffrey Spinks, of Boylston, Abraham Bellini of Somerville and Karapet “Garo” Dzhanikyan, of Watertown. Madarati, Sarkissian and Kabba also face charges of conspiracy to collect debt by extortionate means.

The investigation began in Febrary 2010 in Vermont when federal authorities were looking into a drug trafficking organization based in Canada that used warehouses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the affidavit said. The investigation led authorities to a warehouse at 33 Flagship Dr. in North Andover.

Surveillance led authorities to Madarati. On March 23, 2010, a rented U-Haul truck left the warehouse and stopped at 185 Warren St. in Watertown, Madarati’s home, Lavoie wrote.

On June 14, 2010, federal agents set up surveillance of the Dunkin Donuts at 49 Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown. They allegedly spotted a man give two duffle bags to Madarati in the parking lot.

Watertown Police stopped Madarati’s car at Summer and Waverley streets. When ICE agents looked in the bag, they found $70,040 in cash, which they believe to be drug proceeds, according to the affidavit.

In August 2010, ICE and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents received permission to monitor and record Madarati’s cell phone calls.

“These wiretaps have revealed that Madarati is involved in the distribution of marijuana, oxycodone, cocaine, and Ecstasy in and around the area of Watertown, Massachusetts,” Lavoie wrote in the affidavit.

Federal agents learned that Madarati worked with Soukiasian, Sarkissian and Johnson to distribute “wholesale quantities of marijuana that Madarati received from an organization based in Quebec,” Lavoie wrote.

Soukiasian and Idanjian’s cell phones were also tapped by the agents.

The conversations and communications were in English, Arabic and Armenian, and federal authorities had to bring in contractors to translate.

On Oct. 27, agents seized $1.77 million in cash after observing Madarati and Soukiasian deliver two pieces of luggage to two unnamed men who had entered the U.S. from Canada earlier that day. The bags were exchanged at the Marriott Hotel in Newton and agents made the stop as the two unnamed men tried to enter Hanscom Airport.

Later, the wiretap recorded Madarati talk about losing a large amount of money, and telling Johnson that the next shipment would be delayed, according to the affidavit.

On Jan. 10, 2011, agents stopped Soukiasian after he picked up a package at 328 Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown and found two pounds of marijuana in his car.

Agents tracked Madarati on March 15, 2011, on what they suspected was a drug deal. Bags, which he exchanged with unidentified suspects, were found in a car stopped by State Police in Winchendon. They contained approximately 150 pounds of marijuana, the affidavit said.

The case is being heard in the Boston Federal District Court.