Danbury PAL youth coach ‘relieved’ of duties after arrest

DANBURY — The Police Activities League has let go the youth basketball coach arrested on drug charges last week.

Samuel Perkins, 33, has been “relieved of all coaching duties effective immediately,” PAL said in a statement written by Executive Director Vince Jackson and Farley Santos, the president of the PAL Board of Directors.

Perkins and 24-year-old Kayla Martin were each charged last Wednesday with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“We find the nature of these accusations extremely serious and disconcerting,” Jackson and Santos stated.

Police had been investigating Perkins after receiving complaints claiming he was selling drugs in the city. Around 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8, police said they saw Perkins enter the PAL building after making “suspected drug transactions throughout the Danbury area.”

He left the building about an hour later with Martin, and police followed them to a restaurant, where officers detained them and executed search and seizure warrants. Police said they found a “substantial quantity of money and illegal drugs” in the car, as well as Perkins and Martin’s home.

They were processed at the Danbury Police Department and released to appear in court at a later date and time, according to police.

PAL runs 18 youth programs year round, serving 900 area families with more 4,000 kids age 5 to 18 participating. More than 15,000 people use the PAL center for various community, organizational and private events.

“PAL was founded in 1964 with the goal of providing children a safe and healthy alternative to drugs, violence, and crime,” Jackson and Santos stated. “PAL will work with the Danbury Police Department regarding this matter. The Board of Directors and appropriate personnel have been notified of this incident and we will continue to provide updates as they become available.”