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Mostly Cloudy Long Beach police arrest driver with 13 pounds of marijuana in car
After a brief chase, Long Beach police arrested an Island Park man last Friday for driving while impaired and hauling more than 13 pounds of marijuana and other drugs in his car.
Police said officers were conducting a state grant-funded seat belt enforcement initiative on June 2 at East Park Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard when officer Joseph Wiemann observed a driver without a seat belt.
According to police, Wiemann flagged down the motorist and approached the car when he saw the driver, Jason Kleinmann packing marijuana into a pipe.
Weimann confiscated the drug and pipe, and instructed Kleinmann to pull around the block when he attempted to flee the scene.
Police said two officers quickly followed Kleinmann and stopped him. Sgt. Lee Nielsen evaluated Kleinmann and arrested him for driving while impaired by drugs.
“When Mr. Kleinmann's car was impounded and searched at LBPD headquarters, [more than] 13 pounds of marijuana in a large black garbage bag was discovered in the truck of his car,” police said in a statement. “In addition, numerous oxycodone pills and marijuana edibles were found as well.”
In addition to the impaired driving charge — his first offense — Kleinmann was also charged with first- and fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of marijuana, and fifth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned at Long Beach City Court on June 2.
"Thanks to the hard work and diligence of police officer Weimann and Sgt. Lee Nielsen, an impaired driver and a large quantity of illegal drugs were taken off the street," Long Beach City Councilman Scott Mandel said in a news release. "Arrests such as this demonstrate the value of programs such as seatbelt enforcement, which is funded by the governor's office, as one never knows when a small infraction may lead to the discovery of far more serious offenses."
Kleinmann’s attorney, Greg Grizopolous, was not immediately available for comment. Kleinmann is due to appear in Nassau County Court before Judge Robert Bogle on June 15.
