PD: Woman drives boyfriend to drug deal in special needs van

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — A Framingham special needs van driver is behind bars after police say she used her school van to take her boyfriend to a drug deal. She, her boyfriend and the woman police say bought the drugs appeared in court Monday afternoon.

Prosecutors say love was the motivation for the crime that landed a special needs bus driver behind bars and out of the job. Rudencia Montes, 43, was ordered held on $5,000 bail after Framingham police say she confessed to driving her boyfriend to a heroin deal in her school van Friday night.

"She says she knew he was selling drugs, but she did not know what kinds or where he gets the drugs from," said the prosecutor.

A sergeant allegedly saw the whole deal go down at the popular Cushing Memorial Park. He said a car pulled up and parked next to Montes and her 33-year-old boyfriend Juan Miranda-Ortiz sold 33-year-old Corrine Gentile packets of the drug from the passenger side of her van for the Accept Education Collaborative of Natick.

"She indicated additionally, I don't benefit from it. I just do it because I love him," said the prosecutor.

MORE: Police: Heroin sold out of van for special needs students

Miranda-Ortiz remains held on $25,000 bail because of an identity issue.

"It appears that he is using a different identity than Juan Miranda-Ortiz," said the prosecutor. "There's additionally some questions whether the record we have for him; whether that belongs to him."

The record they do have includes history of prison time for domestic assault and battery and trespassing. His attorney argued leniency under the identity issue.

"He admitted he wasn't the person whose license he had in his pocket when they arrested him," said the CPCS for Ortiz.

Police found just over $2,200 on Miranda-Ortiz and in the van.

The school for children with special needs says no students were on the van at the time of the drug deal and Montes was terminated Friday.

Boston 25 News was told Montes was a long-time employee and that drivers take their vans home after dropping off students. Montes' public defender argued for leniency now that she's out of a job.

Montes does have a shoplifting case from the 1990s on her record.

The charges in the drug deal case enhanced because the deal happened in a school zone. The alleged drug buyer in this case was ordered to post $200 bail and attend four AA or NA meetings.

Cox Media Group