UTICA, N.Y. – After a two-month investigation into illegal drug sales, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit seized marijuana, prescriptions medications, LSD and other drugs and drug paraphernalia from a home in New Hartford.
The narcotics unit worked with the Metro SWAT team to execute a search warrant 3854 Oneida St. in New Hartford on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Authorities seized the following items:
- LSD
- Prescription medications;
- Marijuana;
- Concentrated cannabis;
- THC vape cartridges;
- THC edibles;
- Psilocybin mushrooms; and
- A large amount of money that Investigators believe is proceeds from the drug sales.
According to Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol, the suspect in this case was immediately released without being charged due to new rules regarding New York State Discovery Procedures that were put in place earlier this year.
Maciol says because of the discovery process, certain things, such as lab results from the drugs, have to be turned over to the defense within a specific time frame. Lab results could take several weeks, sometimes several months.
"The frustrating thing for us obviously, in the meantime from today until the time this plays out through the discovery process and getting our results back from the lab, in many cases the drug activity can continue, maybe not at this location but another location, the persons responsible for trafficking the drugs into the community are still allowed to move around without being charged, there's no charge, no bail, until we get everything back we need to put our case together to present to the grand jury," Maciol said.
Maciol says the case will eventually be presented to a grand jury for a decision on indictment. If they decide to indict, an arrest warrant will then be issued for the suspect.
