Medford Pizza Shop Owner Charged In $750,000 Pot Bust
BOSTON (CBS) – A pizza shop owner in Medford has been caught with more than $750,000 worth of marijuana, according to prosecutors.
Investigators began surveillance on 34-year-old Nikita Yanakopulos, the owner of Pinky's Famous Pizza in Medford, last Friday, after getting a tip that he was expected to receive a large shipment of pot in Everett.
"The defendant was observed standing outside of his truck, loading several cardboard boxes into the back cargo area of his truck before driving away," the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Police followed him and arrested him a short time later at a drive-thru restaurant on Revere Beach Parkway.
"Following a subsequent search of the defendant and his motor vehicle, authorities confiscated approximately 250 pounds of high-grade marijuana secreted in eleven cardboard boxes, containing 213 plastic bags of marijuana, valued at over three-quarters of a million dollars. Additionally, authorities seized over $2,000 in United States currency," prosecutors said in their statement.
Yanakopulos was arraigned on August 29 in Malden District Court on a charge of trafficking marijuana.
He was released on $15,000 bail.
He's due back in court September 29 for a pretrial conference.
