Three Connecticut teens charged with felony drug possession following traffic stop

Pleasant Valley, New York – On June 9, 2016, New York State Police from the Poughkeepsie barracks charged 3 Connecticut teens with Felony drug possession following a lawful traffic stop.

Troopers patrolling the Taconic State Parkway observed a blue Jeep traveling northbound at 75 miles per hour and conducted a traffic stop in the area of Hollow Road.  Troopers interviewed the driver, Matthew M. Dinucci, age 19, of Richfield, Connecticut, and detected an odor of marihuana emanating from the vehicle.  The investigating officer conducted a registration check of the vehicle while waiting for a second police unit to arrive on scene and discovered that the registration for the vehicle had expired in May of 2016.  Subsequent investigation revealed that the vehicle’s occupants were in possession of forged identification, marihuana wax, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD blotter paper, Ecstasy, liquid LSD, and alcohol.

Dinucci was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2^nd Degree, a Class A Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4^th Degree, a Class C Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5^th Degree, a Class D Felony, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2^nd Degree, a Class D Felony, Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, a Violation, and Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by a person under 21-years of age.

The front seat passenger, Alexander J. Hamill, 19 years old, of Stamford, Connecticut, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2^nd Degree, a Class A Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4^th Degree, a Class C Felony, Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, a Violation, and Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by a person under 21-years of age.

A rear seated passenger in the Jeep, 18-year-old Alexander I. Redmond, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2^nd Degree, a Class A Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4^th Degree, a Class C Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 5^thDegree, a Class D Felony, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the 2^nd Degree, a Class D Felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7^th Degree, a Class A Misdemeanor, Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, a Violation, and Unlawful Possession of Alcohol by a person under 21-years of age.

The defendants were arraigned before T/Justice Sears in the Pleasant Valley Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail without bail.  They were scheduled to return to the Pleasant Valley Court on June 13, 2016.

The State Police were assisted by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Department and their K9 “Max”.