New Arrest in Valley Cottage Pot Farm Case

Clarkstown Police have arrested an additional suspect stemming from the warrant execution on a pot house in Valley Cottage back in September.

Vincenzo Reda, 34, of Franklin Square, NY, was taken into custody by the Clarkstown Detective Bureau Nov. 11.

He was transported to police headquarters and processed. Reda was charged with criminal possession of marijuana 1st (felony) and conspiracy 4th (felony).

He was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court. Bail was set at $25,000. Reda will return to court Nov. 13.

Police had raided the suspected marijuana farm Sept. 29. They found than 200 marijuana plants and 30 5-gallon buckets of marijuana seeds when they executed the early-morning raid on the unoccupied house on Thomas Court. Because of the sheer size of the farm, officers wore special respiratory gear.

In all they confiscated 75 lbs. of marijuana with a street value of over $250,000, as well as 5 handguns, a small amount of cocaine and more than $40,000 in cash.

A little more than a week later, police arrested Joseph Pisana, 39, of Douglaston, NY, after stopping him in Valley Cottage at 1:30 AM Oct. 8. It appeared that Pisana was attempting to return to the house that had been raided, police said.

Also in the car was Pisana’s girlfriend, Lori Pirrone, 38, of Douglaston, NY. She was arrested for harboring a fugitive from justice as well as obstructing with the investigation. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and transported to police headquarters for processing.

Pisana was charged with criminal possession of marijuana 1st (felony), criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th (felony), criminal possession of a weapon 3rd (felony), criminal possession of a weapon 2nd (felony), 5 counts of criminal possession of a firearm (felony), criminal possession of a weapon 4th (misdemeanor) and false personation (misdemeanor).

Pirrone was charged with hindering prosecution 2nd (felony) and obstructing governmental administration 2nd (misdemeanor).