PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Federal agents arrested a 46-year-old man who is accused of distributing about 100 grams or more of heroin between Oregon and Hawaii.
Mark Squatrito is being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center. On Monday, he will appear before a federal magistrate judge at 1:30 p.m. Agents with the FBI arrested him last week.
According to a federal complaint, the investigation revealed that Squatrito had been shipping heroin from Portland to Hawaii using the postal service, and had been doing so for nine months.
On Jan. 15, 2016, Squatrito told an individual in Hawaii that he would be sending out a shipment of heroin the next day, according to records.
On Jan. 16, two parcels were shipped from a post office in Portland to two different addresses in Hawaii.
Squatrito reportedly gave the person in Hawaii the USPS tracking number for both packages via text messaging. The packages made it to Hawaii on Jan. 19 and were recovered by law enforcement. Inside was 28 grams of a black tar-like substance that tested positive for heroin, according to an FBI complaint.
According to court records, on Jan. 22, the confidential source, working for the FBI in Hawaii, sent $3,600 in cash via USPS to 650 Northwest Irving Street, an address “previously provided” by Squatrito.
A few days later, Squatrito confirmed via text messaging, that he had received the package full of cash.
The 650 Northwest Irving Street address in Portland is identified in court documents as the “The Day Center at the Bud Clark Commons.” The day center is an assistance hub for the homeless.
On Feb. 2, another $3,600 in cash was sent to Squatrito at the 650 NW Irving Street address. The cash was being sent after agents recovered two additional packages of heroin that had been sent from Portland to Hawaii.
The Feb. 2 parcel of cash was mailed “restricted,” which would force the recipient to pick up the package at a USPS branch.
On Feb. 5, Squatrito appeared at the Forest Park Post Office and presented his photo ID to receive the package. A similar situation occurred on Feb. 22 when Squatrito appeared at the same post office and this time presented a California driver’s license to pick up a package, records show.
An arrest warrant was issued for Squatrito’s arrest on March 11.
Tim Collier, a spokesperson for Home Forward, the agency that oversees operations at Bud Clark Commons, said that he was unable to comment on the allegations. He said the organization has no record of Squatrito being a permanent resident and he has not used “Squatrito” as a name to ever sign in as a guest.
Collier added if Squatrito had accessed Bud Clark Commons’ permanent housing as a guest, he may have used an alias. He said that Home Forward’s partner, Transition Projects, operates the day center and the overnight shelter at Bud Clark Commons.
George Devendorf, the executive director of Transition Projects, confirms TPI does operate the day center inside Bud Clark Commons. Devendorf said Squatrito has been in the system’s database since 2014 but the only service he accessed was the mail center.
The mail center is “essential,” Devendorf said for homeless individuals who do not have any other way to have mail delivered.
At any given time, about 1,500 people are using the mail center to have mail and parcels delivered to them, according to TPI.
When items are received, they are stored at the center by last name and the recipient must present a photo ID to collect their mail. Devendorf said it would be against the law for employees to tamper with or inspect mail.
The investigation started in January and it involved the FBI, United States Postal Service and the Hawaii County Police Department.