West Babylon Man Busted With 9 Pounds of Heroin in Rhode Island: Cops

Two Long Island men face serious charges after a traffic stop turned up nearly nine pounds of heroin in their car on Wednesday in Rhode Island, authorities say.

According to Rhode Island State Police, a trooper pulled over a vehicle with Maryland plates for motor vehicle violations, including operating with a canceled registration, on northbound Route 95 in Warwick, about 10 miles south of Providence, around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The driver of the car was identified as 23-year-old Kalen Antoine, of Hempstead, and the lone passenger was 20-year-old Sergio Torres, of West Babylon, police said.

The trooper detected an odor of marijuana from the car and Antoine and Torres gave the trooper conflicting stories on where they were traveling to and from, police said.

Based on conflicting stories, the trooper requested assistance from another trooper and the Warwick Police Department.

A subsequent probable cause and inventory search revealed a box in the vehicle containing numerous bottles of the nutrition shake Ensure, police said.

Within the box, beneath the Ensure bottles were eight white shiny packages labeled “Cafecito Rico,” police said.

Inside the packages was a brown powdery substance consistent with heroin and a field test gave a positive indication of heroin, police said.

A total of four kilograms (8.82 pounds) was seized and Antoine and Torres were arrested, plice said.

Antoine is charged with possession of heroin with intent to deliver, operating on a suspended license and driving while in possession of a controlled substance. Torres is charged with possession of heroin with intent to deliver. Both men were arraigned and are being held in jail pending a bail hearing on Sept. 24.

A conviction for possession of a narcotic with intent to deliver carries a prison sentence of up to 50 years and a fine of up to $500,000.

“I commend the great work of our State Police in preventing these drugs from reaching Rhode Island families, and want to acknowledge the important job our men and women in uniform do every day to confront our overdose epidemic,” Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said. “Like many states, we are losing far too many people to addiction and overdose.”

Photos by Rhode Island State Police