UPDATED: Judge releases Norwich woman who allegedly had liquid cocaine delivered to her home

Norwich — A judge today released without bond a Norwich woman whom police accuse of plotting to sell cocaine that was contained in tubes of lotion in a package from Peru addressed to her boyfriend at their Norwich address.

The arrest of Janice Gomez, 28, of 23 Pearl St., Apt. 4, on Wednesday stemmed from a narcoterrorism investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team, state police said.

Gomez was charged with possession of more than 1 ounce of cocaine, possession of more than 1 ounce of cocaine with intent to sell and risk of injury to a minor. Norwich Superior Court Judge Hunchu Kwak today released her saying there was no probable cause to hold her on bond. Her case was continued to March 8 in Norwich Superior Court.

According to a prosecutor’s report released after Gomez’ arraignment today, on Wednesday, U.S. Customs officials intercepted a package containing 1,700 grams of “a creamy tan gel substance secreted within tubes of lotion” that tested positive for cocaine at JFK Airport in New York addressed to Mario Maldonado of 23 Pearl St., Apt. 4, Norwich.

HSI worked with state police Statewide narcotics detectives, Norwich Police Department's Narcotics Division and U.S. Postal Inspectors to execute a controlled delivery of the package at Gomez’ residence.

The prosecutor’s report said Gomez told the U.S. Postal Service inspector posing as a mail carrier that Maldonado was her boyfriend and he was not at home and she would sign for the package.

She was arrested without incident upon receipt of the package, the report said, and a 10-year-old child at the residence was taken into state Department of Children and Families custody and later was placed with relatives, the report said.

Members of the Statewide Narcotics Task Force Eastern Field Office conducted a search of the apartment and “were unable to locate any additional contraband within the residence, but did seize items of proof of residence for both Gomez and Maldonado, the prosecutor’s report said.

Gomez was first held on $150,000 bond.

c.bessette@theday.com