Long Island Priest Had Crack Cocaine in Motel Room: Police

BETHPAGE, NY - A Long Island Roman Catholic priest arrested early Wednesday morning on drug charges in Bethpage reportedly told authorities that he started using crack cocaine after his sister was murdered by his nephew in 2014.

Authorities were conducting an unrelated narcotics investigation at the Bethpage Motel, located at 4107 Hempstead Turnpike, when they saw Rev. Robert Lubrano, of Farmingdale, approach a 1998 Toyota and exchange an undisclosed amount of cash with the driver in the motel’s parking lot at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

After the exchange, Lubrano, 63, entered a motel room and was placed under arrest following an investigation, police said.

A small, white/yellow rock-like substance believed to be crack cocaine and a silver-colored metal pipe containing crack cocaine residue was recovered at the scene, police said.

Lubrano is an unassigned Roman Catholic priest and the brother of Farmingdale State College professor Patricia Ward, who was beheaded by her son in a murder-suicide in Farmingdale in October 2014.

The priest told police the immediate shock of his sister’s death caused him to start smoking crack and he had been using ever since, the New York Daily News reports.

Lubrano is charged with fifth and seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and will be arraigned Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead.

According to News 12, he was conditionally released to probation through the Substance Treatment Evaluation Program. He is due back in court on Monday.

The driver of the Toyota, a 32-year-old Bronx man, was arrested and released on a desk appearance ticket. Officers conducted a traffic stop after the driver failed to signal and arrested him after police said they found a rolled cigar and a clear bag of marijuana in his car.

Image via NCPD