Narcotics arrest made in Island Park

Andre Benton

Courtesy NCPD

An Island Park man was arrested by Nassau County police on Jan. 3 and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

According to a release from the NCPD, Andre Benton, 45, was arrested for possession of drugs believed to be heroin and crack cocaine after a traffic stop on Warwick Road on Jan. 3 at 4 p.m.

Bureau of Special Operations officers pulled over a red, 2017 Mitsubishi traveling westbound on Warwick Road when they observed that the operator and front passenger were not wearing seatbelts.

Officers conducted a thorough investigation and found that Benton, a passenger, who lives on Warwick Road, had 120 glassine envelopes containing a substance believed to be heroin and a white substance believed to be crack cocaine.

Benton was arrested without incident and charged with four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance — two in the third degree, one in the fourth degree and one in the seventh degree — and no seatbelt front passenger. He was arraigned on Jan. 4 at First District Court in Hempstead.

The driver of the vehicle; Joseph Smorto, 50 of Madison Avenue, was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operator of a vehicle and multiple traffic violations. He was issued an appearance ticket for Feb. 16.