Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of 1.3 Pounds Fentanyl

Rhode Island Man Facing Felony Drug Charge

Westchester County Police seized a large quantity of fentanyl this week following a traffic stop on Boston Post Road in Pelham. 

On Tuesday, at 9:30 a.m., a Patrol Officer stopped a Honda Pilot on Boston Post Road in Pelham for traffic violations, including use of a cell phone without a hands-free device. After additional investigation, it was determined that the vehicle had been altered to add a hidden compartment, or trap, that was being utilized to hide the fentanyl.

Armando De La Rosa, 56, of Cranston, R.I., was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1^st Degree, a felony. He was booked at County Police headquarters in Hawthorne and arraigned in Pelham Town Court. He is being held in lieu of bail at the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla.

“Our officers are always vigilant on every traffic stop for signs of possible criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking,” Commissioner Thomas A. Gleason said. “This officer effectively used his training and experience in this incident and took a sizable amount of this very deadly narcotic substance off the streets of our County.”

The fentanyl has an estimated street value of $52,000.