Three Isla Vista residents were taken into custody for drug trafficking charges this past week, when 21-year-old Gabriel Yanowitz and 19-year-old Tyler Peltier were arrested for working together to illegally sell mass amounts of Xanax, while 23-year-old Jacob Loureiro is now facing charges for selling a variety of drugs.

According to a press release, Loureiro was arrested for charges of possession for sales of a controlled substance, possession for sales of marijuana and possession of a deadly weapon. He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, with his bail set at $30,000. Yanowitz and Peltier were arrested and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, with their bail also set at $30,000. They are now facing charges of possession for sales of a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell/transport a controlled substance.

Sherriff’s Narcotics Detectives received a “citizen tip” early last week, which led them to a posting on Craigslist advertising “prescription medication for sale,” a press release stated. Officials launched an investigation and eventually tracked down Yanowitz as a key suspect. On Halloween, Yanowitz attempted to sell 1,000 Xanax pills to an undercover officer and was soon after taken into custody. Further investigation led detectives to Peltier as a second suspect, as officers determined that Peltier, a Santa Barbara resident, was supplying Yanowitz with bulk amounts of Xanax to sell in Isla Vista, a press release stated.

Following the arrests of Yanowitz and Peltier, detectives obtained a search warrant to investigate Yanowitz’s apartment on the 6700 block of Del Playa Drive, where they discovered 200 Xanax pills and “narcotics paraphernalia,” a press release stated. At Peltier’s residence on the 700 block of North La Cumbre Road in Santa Barbara, investigators found 1,100 more Xanax pills.

Officials seized a total of 2,300 Xanax pills during their investigation, with the drugs holding an estimated street value of $16,000, the release stated.

While Loureiro had a prescription for some of the drugs he was allegedly selling, he is thought to have been unlawfully selling them to the Isla Vista community, according to a press release. The Santa Barbara County Sherriff’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit investigated Loureiro for “several weeks” before searching his home on the 6500 block of Seville Road and arresting him on Friday. At his residence, investigators discovered several deadly weapons, including a hand gun, shotgun, “law enforcement-style” collapsible baton and brass knuckles. Although Loureiro had a permit for both guns, his case will be reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office since he was found to be selling narcotics while in possession of firearms, according to a press release.

 

 

A version of this article appeared on page 1 of the Tuesday, November 5, 2013 print edition of the Daily Nexus.

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