Vernon Drug Bust: A Little More Than a Joint in Strip Club Lot

VERNON, CT — A man was found passed out in a strip joint parking lot with a little more than a joint in his car, law enforcement records indicate.

At 1:59 a.m. on Thursday, an officer found 46-year-old Jonathan Rice in the parking lot of the RocVenus strip joint, seemingly passed out in his car, according to police records. The gentlemen's club is located at 65 Windsor Ave. An officer had to pound in the car window to Wake Rice up, police said.

He also seemingly had a mobile drug store in his vehicle, police said.

Rice, whose listed address is 14 Olive Lane, had a substantial inventory, police said, including:

• 20 grams suspected marijuana
• 25 grams suspected crack cocaine
• Assorted pills
• Packaging materials
• A scale
• A taser

Rice failed field sobriety tests, police said.

He was charged with:

• The sale of certain illegal drugs
• Weapons in a motor vehicle
• Narcotics possession
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Marijuana possession
• The sale of a controlled substance
• Operating drug factory
• The use a drug paraphernalia
• Driving under the influence

Rice also had a Taser in the car, police said.

He was held overnight on a $50,000 bond, and was to appear in Rockville Superior Court on Thursday, police said.

Photo Credit: Vernon police