Pinky's Pizza Owner Arraigned on Drug Trafficking Charge
Nikita Yanakopulos was allegedly caught with $750,000 worth of weed.
The owner of a local pizza shop had his bail set at $10,000 last week on a charge alleging he was caught loading about 250 pounds of marijuana into his pick-up truck in August.
Nikita Yanakopulos, 34, of Medford, was arraigned in Middlesex County Superior Court last Thursday on a charge of trafficking over 100 pounds of marijuana, according to a press release from District Attorney Gerry Leone. Prosecutors have estimated the pot was worth about $750,000.
Yanakopulos, the owner of Pinky's Pizza on Main Street in Medford, was arrested on Boston Street in Everett on Aug. 26 after investigators watched him load boxes full of marijuana into the back of his pick-up truck, according to a press release from district attorney Gerry Leone.
Investigators were tipped off that Yanakopulos would be picking up a large quantity of pot in Everett and began watching him on Route 16, prosecutors said. After watching him load several boxes into his truck, police followed him until he stopped at a drive through restaurant on Revere Beach Parkway, where he was arrested, police said.
In all, investigators seized 250 pounds of high-grade marijuana, which were held in 213 plastic bags of marijuana inside the 11 boxes in his truck, prosecutors said.
He had his bail set at $10,000 cash by Magistrate Michael Sullivan in Superior Court in Woburn on Jan. 12 on the condition he surrender his passport. His next scheduled court date is a Feb. 22 pre-trial conference.
Pinky's has remained open since Yanakopulos was arrested in August.
Shawn D.
5:00 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
I don't get it. The guy gets caught "red handed" with 250 lbs of pot. He gets to post some bail, go home, go out and have fun for 6 months. He gets to run your pizza shop, make some money, drive around in a fancy car, WTF? I guess dealing drugs ain't such a bad thing anymore.. Why don't they Lock this boy up! NOW! what is wrong with this system? You can't be any more guilty than this dude. It was in his truck.. what are we supposed to think, someone put it in there without his knowledge? This is so wrong.. Everybody talk abouts stopping the drug problem, and this is how we handle the dealers. Some poor addict with a gram of coke in his pocket, goes right to jail.. This is so wrong.
Jarome
10:56 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
The only thing wrong is arresting someone for Marijuana.,,, Shawn i'm assuming you'd like to crimilize alcohol as well seeing as it's the most dangerous drug bar none, and any consistant person who wants Marijuana criminalized would feel that way.
When will we realize prohibittion never works?
Shawn D.
11:31 am on Monday, January 23, 2012
Jarome, be serious.. this is not some guy with a few joints in his pocket, this is a guy with 250 POUNDS! this is someone out to get rich on the dime of the personal pot smoker. I said in my first comment, I can sympathize with any "user" getting jailed for personal use, but this guy is a drug dealer..period.
Don't line this kind of money making scheming, with legalization. Completely different argument.
Nick
10:22 pm on Monday, January 30, 2012
Hes a CI (confidential informant) for the federal government they give him a low bail enough for him to make but enough for anyone to think is proper then they have him released and he works for the government most likely bring down his supply air