K9 Search Leads To Drug Arrest In Chatham: Police

CHATHAM, NJ - A trio of New York residents were arrested and charged with drug possession after a speeding stop on Aug. 18, according to the Chatham Borough Police.

Officer Howard Craig arrested Staten Island, NY, residents Ricardo Balbuena, 22, Cassandra Vanwert, 22, and Jonathan Nunez, 19, and charged them with possession of suspected marijuana, police said.

Craig observed their vehicle speeding and initiated a traffic stop and while speaking with the driver, he detected the odor of raw marijuana, police said. Officer Kyle Beasley arrived on the scene to assist Craig. Following an investigation, Balbuena admitted to possessing a small amount of marijuana and was arrested.

A K-9 Officer from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office responded and conducted an exterior search of the vehicle and subsequently, Nunez and Vanwert were arrested as well, police said.

All three were transported to Police Headquarters for processing. All were issued complaint summonses for possession of under 50 grams of marijuana and released pending a court appearance, police said.

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