Facing Felony Narcotics Charge

A traffic stop by the East Hampton Town police early Saturday, June 2, led to the arrest of a Springs man on a felony narcotics charge. According to the police, the license plate on the 2015 Jeep being driven on Fort Pond Boulevard by Jhony Nieto, 38, was not legible because it was dirty and improperly lit, leading to the stop.

During a search of the car, the officer said she found four plastic bags containing an aggregate of more than a half gram of cocaine. “I did that whole bag about three hours ago,” she said Nieto told her. She also reported finding an e-cigarette containing liquid marijuana.

Nieto was charged with possession of cocaine as a felony, along with a misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance. He was held for arraignment later that morning. “If you check my record, I’ve been in the country for 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve been arrested,” Nieto told East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky.

While Justice Tekulsky agreed that Nieto has a clean record, he set bail at $1000, citing the severity of the charge. Nieto posted bail at police headquarters and was released.

tom.e@indyeastend.com