MONTICELLO — A Bronx man was arrested Thursday after state police discovered approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle during a traffic stop on State Route 17.
Chaunrel Cooper, 39, was charged with multiple felonies following the March 6 incident near Exit 104 in the Village of Monticello.
Members of the Troop F Community Stabilization Unit observed Cooper’s 2008 Chevrolet Impala traveling westbound at approximately 1:57 p.m. when they noticed several vehicle and traffic law violations.
During the traffic stop, troopers identified Cooper as the driver, accompanied by a 31-year-old female passenger from New York City and a 5-year-old child in the back seat.
K9 Kell conducted an exterior search of the vehicle, alerting positively for narcotics, which led to a more thorough search revealing the methamphetamine.
Cooper and his passengers were transported to State Police Liberty, where Cooper claimed full responsibility for the narcotics and stated the female passenger had no knowledge of the drugs.
The female passenger and child were released while Cooper was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), an A felony; third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a B felony; and endangering the welfare of a child, an A misdemeanor.
Cooper was arraigned at the Village of Monticello Court at 6 p.m. and remanded to Sullivan County Jail without bail.
He is scheduled to appear in court on March 10 at 9 a.m.
