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Officer Sean Hayes smelled raw marijuana from inside the vehicle while talking with the driver, 26-year-old Justin J. Rosario of the Bronx, after stopping him for careless driving, Police Chief James Batelli said.
Rosario told him that he and his passenger were headed to Middletown, NY, the chief said.
A search turned up:
- 16 clear plastic bags of marijuana packaged for sale;
- A marijuana pipe, rolling papers and other drug paraphernalia;
- A prescription bottle with paper tabs of LSD wrapped in tin foil;
- Several tablets of MDMA (Ecstasy).
Rosario “took ownership of all the contraband” and was charged with several drug-related offenses, Batelli said.
He also received a pair of traffic summonses and was ordered held in the Bergen County Jail pending a detention hearing, the chief said.
Officers seized $715 in alleged drug proceeds for potential forfeiture, he said.
Hayes was assisted by Officer Renee Maupai and K-9 Unit Officer Robert Rapp and Remco, Batelli said.
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