Motel Drug Transaction Witnessed By Vernon Police Turns Into Arrest, Incident Report Shows

VERNON, CT — A hotel drug transaction observed by Vernon police led to a patrol officer and a law enforcement canine catching a suspected dealer in the act, a VPD incident report says.

According to an incident report, just before 11 p.m. on Nov. 2, an officer was positioned on Lantern Lane observing the back parking lot of the Vernon Motel, an establishment known as "a higher crime area most notably for drug use, sales and prostitution."

Vernon police have been receiving increased complaints regarding drug activity in the parking lot and the surrounding area, according to an incident report.

With an "unobstructed view" of the hotel, the officer observed a silver sedan backed into a parking space in front of a ground floor unit and an exchange take place from someone who emerged from the unit, according to an incident report.

An apparent monetary exchange was viewed as well, according to an incident report.

Another exchange was then witnessed by the officer, according to an incident report.

The sedan then proceeded out of the hotel parking lot with its lights off and the driver then illuminated them while nearly swerving into a curb on Merline Road and then Hartford Turnpike, according to an incident report.

The officer then pulled the sedan over on Dobson Road, and the driver appeared to be hiding something inside the vehicle, according to an incident report. When the officer approached the vehicle, a crack pipe was in plain view, according to an incident report.

The driver, identified as 36-year-old Joseph Napoleon Georges, of Windsor Locks, appeared to be high on narcotics, according to an incident report.

Vernon police dog Franco was called to the scene and alerted officers to the presence of drugs in the car, according to an incident report.

Crack cocaine, fentanyl and heroin were located in the car, according to an. incident report.

Georges was arrested and charged with possession of narcotics with the intent to sell, three counts of narcotics possession possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, records show.

It's likely just a matter of time before the hotel will disappear.

According to local zoning records, the property has been approved for conversion into multi-family housing. The rear of the property has been cleared and an interior demolition plan has been approved for the current structure, according to local zoning records.

Additional construction permits have been issued and the project.