Heroin Dealers Busted in Stafford: Police

STAFFORD, VA — A man found passed out on a restroom floor at a Wawa convenience store, 105 Garrisonville Road, ultimately led to the arrests of four out-of-state people for heroin distribution Monday night, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. The passed-out man, Nicholas Richard Caputa, 24, of Briston, Pa., was charged with possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to sell controlled substances.

Charged with conspiracy to sell controlled substances were three Tennessee residents: Anthony Ronald Chambers of Springfield, Megan Rene Lichlytrer of Jefferson City and Sally Elizabeth Nelson of Brentwood. All four were taken to the Rappahannock Regional Jail and are being held without bond.

Around 9 p.m., police responded to the Wawa and were told by an employee that a man looking like a "zombie" was in the restroom on the floor. Police found Caputa asleep in a crouched position between a urinal and a restroom stall. He had to be vigorously shaken to be awakened.

Once awake, he was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and severely restricted pupils. He agreed to a search, and police found a syringe and five baggies of suspected heroin. He said he was from Pennsylvania and had taken a bus to Stafford Marketplace, after which he said he walked across the street to the Wawa.

Police checked out Stafford Marketplace and saw a black BMW with Pennsylvania license plates in the parking lot. A check of the plates showed the vehicle was registered to Caputa, who then admitted to police the car belonged to him. He said he had been traveling with three friends who fled when patrol units arrived at the Wawa.

Police escorted him to his vehicle, and his three friends returned. A K-9 dog indicated the presence of drugs in the vehicle, which was then searched. Police found 140 baggies of suspected heroin, and the four people were arrested and taken to jail.

Photos: Stafford County Sheriff's Office