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Jul 23, 2010

Roxbury police discover drugs and gun during traffic stop


A traffic stop in Roxbury landed three people, two from Pennsylvania and one from New York City, in jail and took a 9mm handgun with the serial number removed, a loaded magazine and drugs off the streets.

Police say they arrested 22-year-old Raymond Stachnick, of Moosic, Pa., Virginia Thompson, 25, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and 24-year-old Steven Capone, of New York City, N.Y. Thursday after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of heroin, the gun, a loaded magazine and additional ammunition.

Detective Sam Zarro, a police department spokesman, said the three had been traveling to Pennsylvania from New York when their vehicle, a 2007 Dodge, was spotted on Howard Boulevard just before 8 p.m. Friday by officer Richard Ricco driving the wrong way through Ledgewood Plaza.

After Ricco pulled the vehicle over, he smelled the odor of burnt marijuana emitting from the vehicle and stated that the driver, Stachnick, and his passengers allegedly showed signs of "drug use," said Zarro who added that the trio had left a Dunkin' Donuts moments prior to the traffic stop.

As the officer questioned the female passenger, she allegedly admitted to him that not only was she in possession of drugs, but also a handgun. Zarro told The Daily Record that Thompson, who was sitting in the front seat of the vehicle, had syringes in her purse, which was under the seat, in addition to a handgun, also under the seat, Zarro said.

All three were transported to police headquarters and detained while the Morris County Sheriff's K-9 unit responded to the scene. Police later obtained a warrant to search the vehicle, which produced a 9 mm handgun with a defaced serial number, one loaded magazine, five glassine folds of heroin, 53 empty folds, syringes, tourniquets and spoons, all found in Thompson's purse.

A search of the vehicle led to seven syringes, 47 glassine folds of heroin in a backpack, 37 bullets from 9 mm ammunition and numerous syringes, all found in the trunk, according to Zarro.

Stachnick and Thompson have been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a prohibited weapon.

All three have been charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of syringes. Stachnick is facing an additional charges of possession of a controlled substance in a motor vehicle, driving while under the influence, failure to keep right and careless driving.

Stachnick and Thompson were placed in the Morris County Jail in lieu of $125,000 bail each, while Capone was held on a $75,000 bond.

Police do not know where the handgun came from and have not made the value of the confiscated heroin available to the media at this time. Officer James Kenny assisted officer Ricco during the arrests.

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