Heroin, Cocaine, Ecstasy, Marijuana: Putnam Drug Enforcement

Putnam County Sheriff Robert L. Langley Jr. reports arrests recorded by the department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit in July. Most were not county residents.

• Members of the NEU developed information that a man was involved in the sale of methadone in the county. They arranged a purchase. On the evening of July 9, members of the NEU and the Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol took the suspect, Thomas R. Simmons, 39, of Dover Plains, NY into custody on Danbury Road in Southeast. Simmons was charged with (1) one felony count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3 rd Degree and (1) one felony count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 3 rd Degree. Simmons, who was currently on NY State Parole for a previous drug conviction, had an outstanding parole warrant issued by New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Simmons was arraigned before the Honorable Judge Vercollone of the Town of Southeast Court and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility with no bail due to numerous felony convictions and the outstanding parole warrant. NYS DOCCS was notified and a detainer was placed on Simmons. Also arrested as part of the investigation was Simmons’ passenger, Renee L. Whiteman, 28, of Wingdale, NY, who was found to be in possession of a quantity of alleged heroin and hypodermic needles. Whiteman was charged with (1) one misdemeanor count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7 th and Criminal Possession of a Hypodermic Instrument. Whiteman was also arraigned before the Honorable Judge Vercollone of the Town of Southeast Court and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $750 cash / $1500 bond. Both subjects have a return court date in the Town of Southeast court on Aug. 6.
• On July 10, members of the NEU arrested Jose L. Manzueta, 30 and Fiol L. Villar, 27 on route 22 in the Town of Southeast after purchasing a quantity of heroin. Manzueta was charged with one felony count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and one felony count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Villar was charged with one misdemeanor count of Conspiracy 5 th degree. Manzueta was arraigned by the Hon. Richard Vercollone of the Town of Southeast Justice Court and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility on $2,500 cash/$5,000. Villar was released on her own recognizance.
• On July 11, members of the Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU) observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation in the Town of Putnam Valley. The NEU members initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. A subsequent investigation revealed that the vehicle’s driver, Paul Andrew Smith, 22, of Ossining, and the vehicle’s passenger, Michelle Rush, 20, of Penfield, New York, were in possession of alleged marijuana. In addition, Smith was observed to be in possession of a quantity of alleged MDMA (Ecstasy). It was also revealed that Smith’s driver’s license was suspended in the state of New York. Smith and Rush were placed under arrest and transported to the Putnam County Correctional Facility for arrest processing. Smith was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (Misdemeanor), Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree (Misdemeanor) and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana (Violation). Rush was charged with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana (Violation). Both defendants are scheduled to appear in the Town of Putnam Valley Justice Court.
• On July 12, members assigned to the Putnam Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Enforcement Unit observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation in Putnam Valley. NEU members initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. A subsequent investigation revealed that the vehicle’s driver, Bridgette Latorre, 39, of Lake Peekskill, was in possession of alleged Concentrated Cannabis, MDMA (Ecstasy), and a counterfeit bill of United States currency. Latorre was placed under arrest and charged with two misdemeanor counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, and one misdemeanor count of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Third Degree. Lattore is scheduled to appear in the Town of Putnam Valley Justice Court.
• Also on July 12, shortly before midnight, members of the Sheriff’s Department NEU observed two males hunched over inside a vehicle, in a parking lot on Danbury Road in Southeast. The officers allege that the two occupants, Casey Perillo, 33, of Danbury, and Daniel Sacrider, 31, of Danbury, were in possession of cocaine. Both Perillo and Sacrider were placed under arrest and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree. Both men are scheduled to appear in the Town of Southeast Justice Court.
• On July 16 members of the NEU observed a vehicle commit traffic violations in Carmel. The NEU members initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. A subsequent investigation revealed that the vehicle’s driver, Michael Scauzillo, 51, of Mahopac, had a suspended New York State driver’s license. Further investigation revealed that Scauzillo was in possession of a quantity of alleged heroin. Scauzillo was placed under arrest and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree (Class A Misdemeanor), and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree ( Traffic Misdemeanor). Scauzillo was issued an appearance ticket and released on his own recognizance. Scauzillo is scheduled to appear in the Town of Carmel Justice Court.