Suspected Drug Dealers Disarmed, Arrested In Vernon Sting

VERNON, CT — A gun and drugs were seized as a regional narcotics take force arrested a pair of suspected dealers in Vernon this week, authorities said.

During the month of May, the East Central Narcotics Task Force began an investigation into narcotics trafficking near the apartments on Park West Drive and Terrace Drive in Vernon, according to a task force report.

The ECNTF identified two people who were "actively selling" crack cocaine and fentanyl in the area, and, over the course of the past several weeks, conducted an "undercover buy campaign" targeting both.

One was identified as 29-year-old Christopher Powell, known on the street as "Cheese" and the other a 16-year-old associate well known to ECNTF and Vernon Police, authorities said.

In addition to a warrant secured for Powell on drug charges, he an active parole violation warrant issued on April 19 from the New Haven Parole Fugitive Unit.

On Monday of this week, at 1:30 p.m., as part of a sting, authorities saw Powell and the teen walking northbound on Talcottville Road near Lucky's Cabaret. Officers then converged on the two individuals and detained them without incident, according to a task force report.

Powell was found to be in possession of nearly 1.5 grams of crack cocaine and three wax folds of suspected fentanyl and the 16-year-old was found with a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun with eight rounds of ammunition, according to a task force report.

The sixteen-year-old was also found to be in possession of nearly five grams of crack cocaine, police added.

Powell was charged with possession with intent to sell a narcotic substance and possession of a narcotic substance after the bust. Based upon the ECNTF sale warrants, he was was also charged with an additional two counts of narcotics sales and possession, police said. As of Friday morning, Powell was being held on a total of $200,000 in cash/surety bonds and was scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Aug. 12, according to judicial system records. Powell was also remanded to the custody of the state Department of Corrections in reference to the violation of parole warrant, records show.

The teen was transferred to the custody of juvenile detention based on a judicial order, records show.