Two Men Charged After Drug Deal Takes Violent Turn

Woburn Police arrested two men on multiple charges after a drug deal went bad on Webster Street on Friday night.

Police arrested Herve A. Phanord, 24, 107 Delaware Ave., Lowell, and charged him with armed and masked robbery with a firearm, breaking and entering into a building in the nighttime for a felony, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, kidnapping and on two warrants, and Sebastian Lerebours, 24, 36 Burlington Ave., Apt. 26, Lowell, and charged him with armed and masked robbery with a firearm, breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy and kidnapping.

Police responded to Webster Street after a 911 hang up call. Police responded to the scene and found a man, who was bleeding from a head wound, lying on the ground and another person (Phanord) kneeling over him.

The victim said he went to the address to buy marijuana and was led into a residence where there were masked men with weapons. He was pushed to the floor and felt a gun at the back of his head. They took his car keys and money from his pocket and tried to lead him to the basement, he told police.

Concerned that he was going to be killed, the victim fought back. One man hit him in the legs with a baseball bat twice and another hit him in the forehead with a gun.

The victim continued to fight back and the men tried to flee the residence, but the victim caught up to Phanord, who was the person who hit him with a baseball bat, the victim said.

Police spoke to a witness who said she saw two men flee toward Nichols Street and a third man run toward Webster Street.

Woburn Police requested a State Police K-9 unit, which searched the area for the suspects. The K-9 Jacco found a black mask, a red hat, a black glove and a baseball bat behind the building.

Police took Phanord into custody.

Police spoke to the Woburn Housing Authority, who said no one should be living in the residence.

The following day, police spoke to Lerebours, who agreed to speak to police. He acknowledged that he facilitated the drug deal, but claimed he did not participate in the sale. He said he was at the movies with his girlfriend when the incident happened.

Lerebours said he left his cell phone at the residence while he was at the movies and that another man gave it back to him after the incident.

Police asked if he would provide a DNA sample, but Lerebours said he would need to speak to his attorney.

Police decided to arrest Lereobur “based on his inconsistent, false and evolving account of events, in addition to his admission that he facilitated the marijuana purchase and his knowledge that there were more people involved in the crime,” according to police.