A New York man with a history of arrests for criminal possession of marijuana is facing new charges following a traffic stop on April 13. According to news sources, the 32-year-old man has now been taken into police custody nearly 20 times. He was to be arraigned in Queens County Criminal Court in connection with the most recent set of charges.
The incident happened in Elmhurst at approximately 7 p.m. when the man allegedly made a left turn at the corner of 57th Avenue and 85th Street without using a signal. New York Police Department officers allege that the man was also not wearing a seatbelt when they approached his 2011 Nissan Maxima after making the stop. During the subsequent investigation, police reportedly observed an amount of marijuana packed in small baggies in the back seat of the vehicle.
Reports indicate that the charged man then informed officers that he had more marijuana in the Nissan’s trunk. Police charged the man with two driving violations and criminal possession of marijuana after they discovered approximately two additional pounds of the substance packed in one medium and two large-sized bags. This is the sixth time that the man is known to have been detained in connection with a criminal possession of marijuana charge. Sources report that 10 of his previous arrests are sealed.
In New York, possession of 8 or more ounces of marijuana is a felony charge, and the penalties associated with a conviction could be severe. Individuals who find themselves charged in connection with one or more serious drug crimes may want to schedule a case evaluation with a criminal defense attorney. Dependent upon each unique situation, the attorney may be able to successfully challenge the prosecution’s evidence and obtain a dismissal of the charges or work to minimize the penalties when possible.
Source: DNA Info, “Driver Busted with 2 Pounds of Marijuana in Trunk in Elmhurst, NYPD Says“, Katie Honan, April 14, 2017