2 men facing drug charges

TORRINGTON — Two city men were caught with cocaine after their vehicle turned without signaling, police said.

Sven Holmgren, 37, of Borough Street, was arrested Feb. 15 and charged with possession of narcotics, sale of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance in a school zone.

Rich Rinaldi, 44, of Torringford Street, was charged with illegal possession of narcotic and improper turn/stop or failure to signal.

According to a probable cause report, two Torrington police officers stopped a sedan on the evening of Feb. 15 after it turned on to East Main Street without signaling. The officers were wearing plan clothes and patrolling in an unmarked vehicle as part of the Community Enhancement Unit.

One of the officers saw the person in the passenger seat “making furtive movements by bending forward at the waist and periodically looking back” as they approached the car, according to the report. Rinaldi was the driver and Holmgren the passenger, police said.

“When asked where they had been coming from both Rinaldi and Holmgren gave different answers and seemed confused by the simple question,” said an officer in the report.

The other officer saw “a small knotted piece of a plastic bag on the floor board of the driver side compartment” when Rinaldi got out of the car, according to the report.

“Due to our training and experience we both know this to be consistent with tying off bags of cocaine for sale,” said the officer.

The officer searched Rinaldi, finding 1.44 grams of cocaine in a cigarette pack in his pocket, then looked through the vehicle, according to the report. The search turned up 13.5 grams of cocaine in a “large plastic bag” under the passenger seat, where Holmgren had been seen reaching as the officers approached the car, police said.

Holmgren was also found to be carrying $363 in cash, according to the report.

“Due to my training and experience I know this quantity of cocaine to be excessive for personal use and coupled with the amount of cash to be an indication of the sale of cocaine,” said the officer in the report.

Both Holmgren and Rinaldi were released on respective $2,500 surety bail and scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Torrington Feb. 26, police said.