Robert Quinones, age 37, of 23 Temple St., Apt. 223, Nashua

NASHUA – While his attorney told a Superior Court judge Thursday that Robert Quinones, an alleged repeat drug offender now on federal parole, doesn’t warrant preventive detention because he is charged with just one count of selling a “user amount” of cocaine, the judge said it’s Quinones’ lengthy criminal record that convinced her that his release would endanger the community.

Judge Jacalyn Colburn therefore denied Attorney Freda Spencer’s request that Quinones’ bail be set at $300 cash, which Spencer said would be sufficient to ensure that he appears in court for future hearings.

“I agree with your attorney that this is just one charge, but with your record, and the fact you’re on federal parole, I do find that preventive detention is warranted,” Colburn told Quinones.

Members of Nashua’s Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Unit, with assistance from Manchester police, took Quinones, 37, of 23 Temple St., Apt. 223, into custody around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said in a statement.

They said the arrest of Quinones resulted from an investigation by Narcotics Intelligence Division detectives “into the distribution of illicit narcotics” in Nashua.

Assistant County Attorney Brett Harpster, the prosecutor at Quinones’ bail hearing Thursday, said Quinones allegedly sold a quantity of cocaine recently to an undercover police agent.

He was charged with one count of sale of a controlled drug – cocaine, second offense, which is classified as a special felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Harpster, who requested Quinones be held on preventive detention, said he has previously been convicted of drug-related charges, and is currently on federal parole.

Quinones’ history, according to Harpster, includes arrests for possession of drugs with intent to distribute, two counts of sale of controlled drugs, and a few misdemeanor-level offenses including simple assault and resisting arrest.

In 2009, Harpster said, Quinones was arrested and charged in Merrimack County with delivering contraband to an inmate at the State Prison in Concord.

The federal allegations stem from his arrest in 2013 for conspiracy to sell drugs, according to Harpster.

Quinones received 72 months of probation and was put on supervised release, Harpster said.

“He has a consistent history of selling drugs,” he told the court. “He continues to engage in this activity.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256, or at dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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