A Massachusetts government aide once trusted by Gov. Maura Healey (D) is now at the center of a sweeping drug investigation after prosecutors uncovered a cocaine trafficking network allegedly operating through state property.
The case has raised serious questions about internal oversight and employee vetting in the governor’s office.
Authorities said 45-year-old LaMar Cook, deputy director of Healey’s Western Massachusetts office, was linked to multiple intercepted drug deliveries totaling 21 kilograms of cocaine.
Some of the shipments were reportedly addressed to government buildings, including one where Cook worked, highlighting the alleged misuse of state facilities, according to Just the News.
Cook, a resident of Springfield, was taken into custody Tuesday after police observed him in his car outside the Springfield State Office Building.
Prosecutors said the arrest followed a lengthy investigation into cocaine shipments that had been discovered across western Massachusetts over the past month.
He appeared in court Wednesday and entered a not-guilty plea to charges of cocaine trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
A judge ruled that Cook would remain in custody without bail until a subsequent hearing.
The Healey administration immediately dismissed Cook after learning of his arrest.
“The conduct that occurred here is unacceptable and represents a major breach of the public trust,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement, according to Fox News. “This criminal investigation is ongoing, and our administration will work with law enforcement to assist them in their work.”
The investigation traces back to earlier this month, when law enforcement intercepted two suspicious parcels at Hotel UMass on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus.
Officers discovered roughly 13 kilograms of suspected cocaine in the shipments.
Investigators later determined that Cook had previously served as the hotel’s director, placing him under immediate scrutiny.
According to the Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, the narcotics recovered from the hotel operation matched evidence from a later controlled delivery in Springfield.
“Evidence collected during that operation was consistent with the narcotics recovered during the most recent controlled delivery in Springfield,” the office said.
“The investigation into the UMass seizure remains ongoing and may result in additional charges related to the prior shipments in Hampshire County.”
The Springfield delivery occurred last Saturday, when authorities intercepted eight more kilograms of cocaine being shipped to the state office building.
That discovery confirmed investigators’ suspicions that multiple state facilities were being exploited to traffic the drug.
Authorities later searched Cook’s office Monday night and reportedly recovered additional evidence linking him to the operation.
Prosecutors described the findings as among the most significant drug seizures involving a Massachusetts public employee in recent memory.
Law enforcement officials have not identified additional suspects but said the investigation remains active.
Prosecutors are working to determine whether Cook acted alone or as part of a larger network tied to narcotics distribution across western Massachusetts.
The scandal has rattled Healey’s administration, already facing scrutiny over internal oversight and accountability in public hiring.
Observers say the case highlights growing concerns about organized criminal networks exploiting public institutions in heavily Democratic states.
