Teaneck Man In Stolen Car Found With Marijuana, Counterfeit Money: Police

TEANECK, N.J. — A township man was arrested after police caught him driving a stolen Mercedes Friday with suspected marijuana and counterfeit bills.

Members of the department's Narcotics Squad stopped a 2009 Mercedes ML350 that had been reported stolen out of South Hackensack Thursday, said Chief Robert A. Carney.

The driver, Floyd W. Gaines Jr., 47, of Teaneck, attempted to leave the Best Stop parking lot where it was stopped, but police blocked the vehicle in, Carney said.

Police found a Macy's bag containing suspected marijuana and a $395 sweater near the passenger, Abdulazee O. Salawu, the chief said, and Gaines allegedly had a credit card belonging to the vehicle's owner on him, along with two suspected counterfeit $50 bills.

Gaines admitted to police that the vehicle was stolen and that the marijuana was him, Carney said. Salawu admitting stealing the sweater from Macy's in the Garden State Plaza Friday, admitting to taking the $395 price tag off and replacing it with a $13 one, police said.

Gaines was charged with receiving stolen property, theft of a credit card, money laundering, and possession of marijuana, the chief said.

Gaines was being lodged in the Bergen County Jail as of Tuesday because he was unable to post bail. He is due to appear in Bergen County Superior Court Nov. 30.

Paramus police were notified of Salawu's admission, and he was released pending further investigation.

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Floyd W. Gaines Jr., 47, of Teaneck/background image via Shutterstock