Troopers Arrest New York Duo, Seize 8 lbs of Heroin on Rte. 95

Warwick, RI – RI Troopers form the Wickford Barracks stopped a car with Maryland plates for a cancelled registration on Rte. 95 in Warwick Wednesday, discovered 4 killograms of heroin in the car and arrested the driver and occupant on heroin possession charges.

The driver, Kalen Antoine, 23, of 182 Brown Avenue, Hempstead, New York, was charged with: Possession of Heroin (over 1 ounce to 1 kilogram) With Intent to Deliver, Operating on a Suspended License, and Driving While in Possession of a Controlled Substance, according to a release from RI State Police

The car’s passenger, Sergio Torres, 20, of 91 8th Ave., West Babylon, New York, was charged with Possession of Heroin (over 1 ounce to 1 kilogram) With Intent to Deliver.

Both men were arraigned in Third Division District Court and held pending a Sept. 24 bail hearing, police report.

The arresting trooper smelled an odor of marijuana from the interior of the vehicle as he spoke with the driver and passenger during the stop. When the pair offered conflicting stories about where they were traveling from and where they were headed, the Trooper requested backup from a fellow trooper and the Warwick Police Department. A WPD canine detective responded and detected narcotics in the car, according to RI State Police.

The vehicle and occupants were transported to the Wickford Barracks for further investigation. The driver’s New York license was found to be suspended and was taken into custody.

Troopers did a probable cause inventory search of the car, which revealed a box containing numerous bottles of Ensure.

Beneath the Ensure bottles were eight white shiny packages labeled “Cafecito Rico.” Inside these packages was a brown powdery substance which  field tested positive for heroin. The approximate weight of the heroin seizure was four (4) kilograms, or more than 8 lbs. of heroin.

“Getting such a large quantity of drugs off the streets is an enormous success for the State Police, and for all of Rhode Island. This is great news for everyone who is working to combat Rhode Island’s drug overdose crisis,” said Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.

If convicted, the pair face a prison sentence of up to 50 years and a fine of not more than $500,000.

“I commend the great work of our State Police in preventing these drugs from reaching Rhode Island families, and want to acknowledge the important job our men and women in uniform do every day to confront our overdose epidemic,” said Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. “Like many states, we are losing far too many people to addiction and overdose. Our State Police are critical partners in our efforts to work across state agencies to save lives and keep our neighborhoods safe.”