A longtime, fourth-generation Friendship lobsterman is facing multiple charges following his arrest Sunday, police said.
Sam Lash, 39, was taken into custody after Newburyport police discovered drugs and weapons during a vehicle search.
Officer Schyler Reilly initiated the investigation at a gas station, leading to a motor-vehicle stop where drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in plain sight, according to Boston 25 News.
The search revealed 931.5 grams of cocaine, 13.5 grams of crack cocaine, 7.1 grams of marijuana, and four units of Ecstasy, along with scales and cutting utensils.
A .357 caliber revolver, ammunition, and metallic knuckles were also recovered from the vehicle.
Lash is charged with trafficking in cocaine, possession of Class B and Class D drugs, carrying a dangerous weapon – the gun – and ammo without a license and driving without a license.
He’s been lobstering off Friendship since he was 12 years old, according to an oral history posted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adninistraation.
Lash followed his great-grandfather, grandfather and father into the lobster fishery along midcoast Maine.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article indicated that the Lash Wharf in Friendship is named after Sam’s family. It is actually named after a different Lash family.
