Another Heroin-Related Arrest in Tarrytown

On Friday night, members of the Greenbrugh Drug and Alcohol Task Force arrested a Mohegan Lake man on suspicion of felony heroin possession.

Police took Christopher Butrico, 35, into custody at the Bridge Plaza shopping center shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday. Butrico was was found with five bags of alleged heroin in his possession, an excess of 3.5 grams of the substance, along with hypodermic needles.

Butrico was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree, a B Felony. He was taken to Westchester County jail, but records indicate he may have posted bail since he is not listed as an inmate.

The man was arrested after an investigation into narcotics dealing conducted by the Task Force. According to members of the unit, in the past few months there has been an uptick in heroin use and arrests – a trend that has been seen across the county.

"Heroin seems to be the big drug right now" said Sgt. Harold Young, supervisor of the Task Force.

Young said that while prescription drug abuse tops the list, heroin is fast becoming a problem in the area. He said part of its growth in popularity could be two-fold; heroin is cheaper that other narcotics such as cocaine, it is also treated differently by the courts. While a half gram of cocaine can result in a felony conviction, 3.5 grams of heroin is needed for a felony conviction in New York State.

Police warn that the narcotic's popularity also means more people are being hospitalized, and dying, from its use. Last month, two Yorktown residents were after overdosing on heroin in their home. 

"We've also been noticing more overdoses... It's cheap and the law doesn't address it the same," Young said.