Business Owner, Employee Sold Drugs Out Of Store: Middletown Police

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A business owner and an employee are accused of selling drugs out of a store in Middletown, according to police.

Police executed a search-and-seizure warrant at Amari’s Store at 44 Grand St. on Nov. 11, according to officials.

The warrant was obtained as the result of a “lengthy investigation after complaints of illegal drug sales from the store,” police wrote in a news release.

Detectives found several items inside the store “indicative of illegal drugs sales including scales, packaging equipment and supplies, substances that are commonly used as cutting agents in the sales of narcotics, individually packaged amounts of marijuana, vape pens containing THC, approximately 15.7 total ounces of marijuana product, 983.5 grams of cocaine, and a handgun,” according to the news release.

Justin Henderson, 40, was working in the store at the time of the search warrant and was arrested, police said.

Roan Brown, 38, was determined to be the owner of the business and he was arrested by warrant on Dec. 1, according to police.

Police said Henderson and Brown are both convicted felons.

They were each charged with possession of narcotics, possession of more than 8 ounces of marijuana, possession with intent to sell over ½ ounce of cocaine, possession with intent to sell, operating a drug factory, criminal possession of ammunition, criminal possession of a firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brown was held in lieu of a $500,000 bond and Henderson was held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.