PCSO Officer Donald Reddin smelled marijuana after pulling over the Chevy van, driven by 24-year-old Delreese Delgado of Paterson, on Columbia Avenue and Washington Place in the City of Passaic late Tuesday, Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik said.
Delgado "stated he just dropped his brother's girlfriend off and she had previously smoked, but [that he] currently had no marijuana in his vehicle," Berdnik said.
The sheriff said a subsequent search turned up:
- 292 vials of crack;
- a bag with three quarters of an ounce of crack;
- a large bag of marijuana;
- seven medium-sized bags of pot;
- 40 small zip-locking bags of pot.
Officers also found a PX Storm Beretta pistol reported stolen in March 2016 out of Orlando, FL loaded with seven rounds of ammunition in the trunk of the minivan, Berdnik said.
The vehicle was impounded, $1,300 in suspected drug money was seized and Delgado was charged with a dozen offenses.
Most involved drug possession, primarily with the intent to distribute it, as well as various illegal weapons counts -- including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Delgado remained held in the Passaic County Jail on Wednesday pending a detention hearing.
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