Mother's Concern Leads to Drug Bust, Five Arrests

A worried parent who was concerned her daughter was out buying heroin led to a drug bust and five arrests over the weekend, Hopatcong Police said.

According to Lt. Thomas Kmetz, a mother notified police that her 17-year-old daughter might be using her car to buy heroin with others at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday.

An officer spotted the vehicle and observed the girl driving past the provisional's allowed hours, Kmetz said. The officer pulled over the vehicle near the corner of Flora and Durban avenues, which contained the driver and four other occupants who all gave different stories, Kmetz said.

The mother who called police was asked to come to the scene and granted officers permission to search the vehicle, Kmetz said.

The 17-year-old was charged with possession of heroin for having two empty folds with residue in her wallet, provisional driving violations for driving after hours and with too many occupants, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a vehicle, Kmetz said. She was charged and released to her mother.

Christopher Mills, 33, of Hopatcong, was charged with crack cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of a hypodermic needle, possession of paraphernalia (push road and brillow balls used to smoke crack) and destruction of evidence, Kmetz said.

According to Kmetz, Mills had heroin and a needle in his underwear and attempted to flush them in the cell when at police headquarters. Mills was lodged at Sussex County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Paul Fortunato, 24, of Flanders, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of a hypodermic needle and possession of Xanax without a prescription. Fortunato had a plastic bag in his pocket containing a brick of heroin, bundles of heroin and loose folds of heroin, Kmetz said. He had a small plastic wrapper with Xanax pills and a brown paper bag that was wrapped around two hypodermic needles in another pocket, according to Kmetz. Fortunato was lodged at the Sussex County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Marissa Alberty, 32, of Netcong, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of a hypodermic needle, possession of Suboxone and obstruction. Alberty had a backpack in the trunk containing two needles, two bundles of heroin and a small plastic wrapper that had loose heroin folds and several pills, including one of Suboxone, Kmetz said.

Alberty lied about her identity because she had a $400 warrant out of Jefferson, Kmetz said. Alberty was charged, given a Jefferson court date and released on a summons.

Thomas Rando, 27, of Netcong, was arrested on a warrant out of Roxbury, but was not charged with any drug offenses.