Teen Spends Birthday Behind Bars

A Manhattan teen spent most of his 18th birthday in custody, after being charged by the East Hampton Town police with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a felony, a little before midnight Saturday, June 15.

The teen, whose name is being withheld by The Independent because of his age and the nature of the crime, was seated in a car parked near the intersection of Mulford Lane and Lazy Point Road in Amagansett when an officer approached. The police said the car smelled of marijuana, and that the teen admitted to having “a little weed.”

A search of the teen’s knapsack, according to police, found 91 full and 80 half-tablets of Xanax, a drug classified as a controlled substance. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about those,” the teen told the officer. “Those are my Xanax. I take them to help me write music.” Due to the quantity of pills involved, the teen was charged with the felony.

He was brought in for arraignment before East Hampton Town Justice Lisa Rana Sunday morning. “Happy birthday,” she said, though there was no joy in the salutation. She set bail at $3000. Unable to post that amount, the teen was taken to county jail.

Late Sunday afternoon, the teen’s mother, made the long trip from Manhattan to Riverside, and posted bail for her son.

t.e@indyeastend.com