Crime & Safety
Drugs Seized in Arrest Near Middlebury School [Updated]
Police say the Middlebury man was in possession of cocaine and heroin.
Middlebury Police K-9 JJ helped sniff out drugs near a school on Thursday.
The seizure — of heroin, cocaine and drug paraphernalia — came as a result of a routine traffic stop on Three Mile Road near Kelley Road, according to a police report from Richard Wildman, Acting Chief of the Middlebury Police Department.
Officers smelled the odor of marijuana when they approached the vehicle, Wildman said, and that is what prompted a search of the vehicle and its occupants.
A passenger, Dorien A. Banks Jr., 22, of Tyler Crossing in Middlebury, was arrested at 10:33 a.m. on Nov. 14 on multiple drug-related charges, including:
- Possession of heroin
- Possession of heroin with the intent to sell
- Possession of cocaine
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Operating a drug factory
Given the proximity to Memorial School, police also charged Banks with:
- Possession of heroin in a school zone
- Possession of heroin with the intent to sell in a school zone
- Possession of cocaine within a school zone
According to police, the approximate weight of the drugs was 3.1 grams of cocaine and 21.8 grams of heroin. Wildman said the total estimated street value of those drugs was about $2,500. Banks' bond was set at $10,000.
The investigation was handled by Officer Demers along with his drug dog JJ, Officer Marcantonio, and Officer Cronin.
"They are very thorough on their investigative stops," Wildman said. "This was just a simple motor vehicle stop that led to a good drug bust."
In light of the death of four individuals in the Torrington area in five days from what Wildman said was suspected to be a bad batch of heroin, Middlebury Police reached out to the statewide narcotics task force and Torrington Police, to alert them to their bust so that any possible connections could be established. There was no word on any possible connections as of Thursday afternoon.
Less than a month ago, state health officials issued a warning about the possibility of a tainted batch of heroin circulating in the state.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
