Vernon Officer, Police Dog Snag 96 Bags of Heroin

VERNON, CT — A speeding violation led to a police dog sniffing out nearly 100 bags of heroin in Vernon on Monday, a police report indicates.

At 4:47 p.m. on Monday, canine officer Bryan Sembersky initiated a traffic stop in the area 555 Talcottville Road for a vehicle that was traveling "excessively" over the speed limit, according to a report. That is the local address for a stretch of state Route 83.

Based on the driver's behavior, Sembersky believed the vehicle contained narcotics and brought over his police dog partner, Thor, to inspect the vehicle, according to a report.

Thor alerted Sembersky to the presence of drugs and a subsequent search yielded 96 bags of heroin, a small clear bag of crack cocaine that later weighed in at 7.7 grams, and an illegal switch-blade knife, according to a report.

The heroin was later tested and it revealed the "presumptive presence" of Fentanyl, according to a report.

The operator of the vehicle was identified as Daniel Thomas, 36, of 90 Summer St., Manchester.

He was charged with possession of narcotics; the sale of illegal narcotics; possession of narcotics within a school zone; weapons in a motor vehicle; speeding.

The search also produced $781 cash was found on Thomas, according to a report.

Thomas was released on a $50,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Rockville Superior Court on July 24, according to a report,

Photo Credit: Vernon police