A New First in JP Drug Lab Scandal: Freed Man Arrested on New Drug Charges

Police are warning the convicted drug dealers going free in the JP Drug Lab scandal that there will be zero tolerance if they offend again.

But on Friday, prosecutors say, that's exactly what happened.

A Roslindale man was held on $100,000 cash bail on new cocaine trafficking charges. The reason he was out of jail was that, in a previous trafficking case, evidence against him had been handled by chemist Annie Dookhan. She's the state employee accused of mishandling thousands of drug samples, including faking test results.

Enrique Camilo, 37, was arrested Friday on a warrant at Logan Airport while returning from the Dominican Republic, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Spokesperson Jake Wark. 

Boston Police recovered about a pound of cocaine from his Claron Street residence in Roslindale during an execution of a search warrant on Oct. 18, said Wark.

Camilo was previously free on his own recognizance on an unrelated, pending Norfolk County drug trafficking case. His bail had been reduced on Oct. 2, the Globe reported, because the cocaine in that case had been tested by Dookhan.

The prosecution recommended $1,000,000 bail, revocation of the Norfolk bail, and surrender of the defendant’s passport. The judge imposed $100,000 bail on the Suffolk case, declined to revoke bail on the Norfolk case and ordered the surrender of Camilo's passport.

This marks the first time a drug defendant freed in connection with the Drug Lab problems has been arrested on fresh drug charges. A South End man who had been freed failed to show up to court, but did not face fresh drug charges.

"This should come as no surprise," District Attorney Dan Conley said in a press statement. "The defendants who will benefit most from the drug lab disaster will be violent offenders, repeat offenders, and high-level offenders like this one."

For all of Jamaica Plain Patch's coverage of the JP Drug Lab Scandal, please visit our topic page on the issue.