Two men face drug charges after traffic stop

TORRINGTON — Two men were recently arrested and charged after officers found crack cocaine and heroin in their vehicle, police said.

James G. Williams, 33, of 76 Suburban Ave., Bridgeport, and Richard M. Neubauer, 35, of 2 Elwell Place, Danbury, were arrested Nov. 18, police said.

According to a probable cause report, two officers who were wearing plain clothes and driving an unmarked cruiser were on patrol in the South End, near the Cumberland Farms and Dunkin’ Donuts on South Main Street, when they noticed a Jeep occupied by two people.

One of the occupants, later identified as Neubauer, “was in the passenger seat making abrupt movements, moving his body back and forth and side to side,” which was “enough to make the whole Jeep rock back and forth,” police said in the report.

“I noticed Neubauer’s hands (were) flailing up and down. His movements (were) very fast and frequent. Based on my training and experience, these movements can be consistent with someone who (may be) under the influence of a stimulant such as crack cocaine,” a Torrington police officer said in the report.

What the two officers saw, coupled with recent reports of alleged narcotic use, sales, and prostitution in the area, led the officers to “conduct a consensual encounter with the two subjects.”

One officer noticed a syringe in Neubauer’s right hand as he approached the vehicle, according to the report. He informed the two men to place their hands on the dashboard of the vehicle, which they did. Neubauer then stepped out of the vehicle when asked.

“I asked Neubauer how much heroin was in the Jeep and he informed me (there) might be ‘a little bit’ left in the Jeep. I asked Neubauer who the heroin belonged to and he said ‘both of us.’ I asked Neubauer (if there was) any crack cocaine in the vehicle and he replied ‘maybe,’” said the officer.

The other officer said he found six bags of suspected heroin in Williams’ pocket, and saw him attempt to break a glass pipe, according to the report. The officer writing the report found “a white rock that I was able to immediately recognize as crack cocaine” in a cigarette package in the center console.

“Both parties were asked who the crack cocaine belonged to and neither party wanted to answer the questions. Based on the crack cocaine being located in a common area in the vehicle that both parties occupied, the heroin being located in (Williams’) pocket along with Neubauer admitting they were both using the heroin, both parties (are) charged with the possession of the narcotics,” said the officer.

Williams and Neubauer are both also charged with possession in a school zone and possession of drug paraphernalia in a school zone, police said. Williams also is charged with tampering with physical evidence. Both were released on $1,000 bail and scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Torrington on Nov. 27, according to police.