Traffic Stop on Route 52 Leads to Drug Charge

CARMEL, NY — Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrest of a Patterson woman on a misdemeanor drug possession charge.

On December 5, 2016 at 1:04 p.m., Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Irwin stopped a motorist who had committed a traffic violation on Route 52 in the Town of Carmel.

Upon approach, the deputy detected an odor of marijuana emanating from the interior of the vehicle, police said. The deputy determined that a passenger in the vehicle, identified as Christine D. Varella, 31, of 315 Fox Run Lane, Patterson was in possession of quantities of marijuana and a controlled substance.

The deputy arrested Varella and charged her with Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, a violation; and with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, a misdemeanor.

She was processed at the Putnam County Correctional Facility and released pending a future appearance in the Town of Carmel Justice Court .

If found guilty of the misdemeanor charge, the defendant could face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.