SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The deputy director of Governor Maura Healey’s western Massachusetts office, LaMar Cook, was arrested and terminated from his position after several kilograms of suspected cocaine were seized.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office said that an ongoing investigation is being conducted after multiple parcels were seized that contained a combined total of approximately 21 kilograms of suspected cocaine.

22News obtained the court documents that state two packages sent from an address in Atlanta, Georgia, were intercepted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 8. The packages contained approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine (several imprinted with the word “GOLD”), were being shipped to a guest under the name “Morgan Gordon” at Hotel UMass in Amherst.

Under law enforcement surveillance, the packages, both weighed approximately 18 pounds each, were ultimately shipped to Hotel UMass, which arrived the following day. Due to the inability to locate a guest with the addressed name, the packages were moved to the mail room and eventually taken in as evidence by the Massachusetts State Police.

During the investigation, it was learned that 45-year-old LaMar Cook of Springfield previously served as a director for the state-run facility, Hotel UMass. The court documents allege that he was observed at the mail room retrieving additional UPS packages. In addition, the vehicle he allegedly used was recorded by an automated license plate reader coming to and from Amherst.

Since this incident, shipments have been reviewed with UPS that show additional suspicious packages were delivered to Hotel UMass. Two shipments from Winter Haven, Florida, that weighed approximately 18 pounds, addressed to “Gary Woods”, were delivered on October 3, and two similar delivered on September 26 from Bartow, Florida. Surveillance footage shows Cook allegelly picking up the packages at the loading dock of Hotel UMass.

On October 24, HSI in Louisville seized another suspicious package that contained approximately 7,800 grams of suspected cocaine, imprinted with the word “GOLD”. Massachusetts law enforcement performed a controlled delivery operation to the addressed location, the State Office Building on Dwight Street in Springfield, the office where Cook works.

On Saturday afternoon, Cook met with the undercover officer who was posing to deliver the package and was detained. Officers arrived and took the package as evidence.

More than 21,000 grams of cocaine was seized in October during this investigation, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

-Massachusetts State Police report

That led investigators to execute a search warrant on Monday for the office where Cook was employed within the Springfield State Office Building. As a result, Cook was arrested on Tuesday during a traffic stop. Court documents obtained by 22News show that Cook was stopped on Cottage Street and provided the officer with a Georgia license. Due to being a resident of Massachusetts for the last three years, he was issued a citation for the unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

During the same time of the traffic stop, officers conducted a search warrant at Cook’s home on Lamont Street, where police seized a 9MM Taurus G3 pistol and ammunition. Cook does not have a firearm license. The police also seized an undisclosed amount of cash.

Cook was arrested for the warrant in connection with the following charges:

• Cocaine, Trafficking in, 200 Grams or More (in relation to the approximately 8 kilograms seized from the Springfield State Office Building operation)
• Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
• Unlawful Possession of Ammunition

“The investigation into the UMass seizure remains ongoing and may result in additional charges related to the prior shipments in Hampshire County,” the Hampden DA’s Office stated.

Photos: LaMar Cook

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the governor told 22News that Cook has been terminated from his position as a state employee. In April 2023, Cook was hired as the Western Massachusetts Deputy Director in Springfield to work together with stakeholders, constituents and local municipalities on issues within the region.

“The Governor’s Office has been made aware of the arrest of an employee, Lamar Cook. The conduct that occurred here is unacceptable and represents a major breach of the public trust. Mr. Cook has been terminated from his position effective immediately. This criminal investigation is ongoing, and our administration will work with law enforcement to assist them in their work,” the spokesperson stated.

Cook co-founded the Back to School Brighter Initiative, which supports local children with free haircuts, backpacks, and school supplies. He was also a member of the Springfield Community Preservation Committee as a neighborhood representative, which has a role in maintaining the city’s historical and cultural resources.

His educational background includes a certificate in hospitality and tourism management from Florida Atlantic University and a degree in Political Science and Government from Western New England University.

Massachusetts State Police Commonwealth Interstate Narcotics Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET West), the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other partner agencies, is involved in the investigation.

VIDEO: Defense Attorney Kedar Ismail

22News was in Springfield District Court on Wednesday for Cook’s arraignment. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without the right to bail pending a hearing scheduled for Friday.