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W. Nyack Home Raided, Man Faces Drug Charges

D.A.: More than $2,000 worth of prescription drugs seized

An early-morning raid on a West Nyack home was the culmination of an undercover drug investigation that was prompted by complaints of suspicious activity in the area.

and and members of the arrested Matthew Capuano, 24, of 55 Marycrest Road on charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd degree, with the intent to sell, and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th degree.

said Capuano was caught with numerous prescription drug medications including: oxycodone, opana and xanax. The street value of these prescription drugs was about $2,000.

Zugibe said that police armed with a search warrant raided the home at 6 a.m., using the county's Rescue, Entry and Counter-Terrorism Team (REACT) and a canine unit from Clarkstown to arrest Capuano.

The investigation began when Orangetown police received numerous complaints of suspicious activity at 55 Marycrest Road, West Nyack. The Rockland County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit, along with the Orangetown Police Detective Bureau conducted numerous surveillance operations, background checks, and "buyer beware operations" that confirmed that suspicious activity was drug-related.

Through surveillance, Zugibe said Capuano was seen selling prescription medications at locations in Clarkstown and Montvale, NJ. Among the medications, Oxycodone and Opanas are highly addictive opiate prescription drugs that Zugibe said have been plaguing Rockland County's upper- and middle-class communities. 

Capuano was arraigned in Orangetown Town Court and ordered held in the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City on $10,000 bail pending a hearing.

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Marie August 16, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Finally, a big bust! Much better than the sweeps you read about involving countless people being arrested for selling only 1to 5 pills each! Good job task force! Keep it up!
Will McAvoy August 17, 2012 at 02:22 am
looks like somebody is going to jail
Rob August 17, 2012 at 04:02 am
What a road to take at such a young age.
Tim August 17, 2012 at 01:04 pm
BREAKING NEWS? Why? Who is he related too? Don't give criminals publicity Patch. Ignore them,hopefully they disappear into the prison systems in upstate NY.
John Roache August 17, 2012 at 01:25 pm
This guy was a pretty good athlete I believe. Shame. He just dug a big whole for himself in life.
Pat August 17, 2012 at 01:49 pm
He wasn't charged with any sale of narcotics, only intent? Not much of an arrest after all is said and done especially when you consider that the Rockland County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit, along with the Orangetown Police Detective Bureau were all involved with the investigation. Seriously, a sharp patrol officer can get similar charges if they happen to stop the right car on Middletown Road.
I'm glad the guy was arrested but it seems to me to be a lot of sizzle and no steak.
Dave H August 17, 2012 at 03:06 pm
Pat is right... for the resources put into this investigation, its not that much of an arrest after all. This man presumably got out on bond the same day and with charges that amount to a bond of 10k, i predict he will be placed on some sort of probation, no jail time. THIS DID NOTHING for the amount of resources put into this
Marie August 18, 2012 at 12:21 am
$2000 street value of pills out of the hands of a drug dealer will save alot of young adults this weekend. I believe it puts a scare out there. And these are the arrests we need to know about. It beats using kids to sell to kids under cover. That I believe is just a circle game and doesnt make a big enough dent like this arrest
Joey Fastone August 20, 2012 at 01:46 am
You are right. You can order the stuff online from a Canadian pharmacist. So the point is moot. I think its a waste of tax payer money and law enforcement to be chasing drug dealers. Its needs to be decriminalized and treated as a health problem. But then the drug dealers might lose their profit so they cant arm themselves with an arsenal from the insane amounts of money they can make. The question to ask - Why is someone selling drugs ? Its a form of income when there are no jobs around that pay a living wage. You can also drive down to Florida, go to a pain management clinic with an MRI and drive home with a baggie of a few hundred oxycontins. Somebody will just take this drug dealers place. There are thousands of these drug dealers selling prescription narcotics.
Joey Fastone August 20, 2012 at 01:51 am
There are hundreds of drug dealers out there selling prescription narcotics. Arresting drug dealers isnt the answer, nipping it at the source is the only way. Its far to big.
Marie August 20, 2012 at 04:37 pm
Joey, what is a pain management clinic? Is this seriously legally allowed?
Joey Fastone August 20, 2012 at 07:43 pm
Watch The Oxycontin Express on you tube. It will blow your mind about the trafficking of pain pills from Fla. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEA5GBRRSVA&feature=channel&list=UL
Pat August 20, 2012 at 08:12 pm
I certainly would not call for decriminalizing narcotics. My point is simply that all these special units in RC were involved in this arrest and it really wasn't that big of a deal in terms of charges. I would hope the task force would involve themselves in a operation where someone was driving back and forth to Florida on a regular basis and bringing back a baggies full of oxycontins but they do not seem capable of anything like that.
Joey Fastone August 22, 2012 at 03:19 am
The drug laws are a violation of ones rights and privacy. You can smoke cigarettes and alcohol, both of which are classified as poison. They are a leading cause of death as are pharmaceuticals prescribed by doctors. That's a fact. Marijuana was legal, but now its a just a cash cow for the so called legal system because they are an easy target. Hemp and marijuana saves lives and can save this country. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Jack_Herer_-_The_Emperor_Wears_No_Clothes.pdf
Dave H March 27, 2013 at 11:31 pm
What ever happened with this case?
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 13, 2013 at 11:09 am
Congratulations to Nyack Boat Club and member Justin Coplan! Would love to see photos of the team inRead More action!
Aerial of United Water's proposed water treatment plant location
West Nyack June 13, 2013 at 07:03 pm
This issue is not whether Rockland County will need more water in the future which it may nor is itRead More the fact that Hudson River water can be made drinkable which it can. The primary issue is the company that wants to run the project. United Water has been a lousy corporate neighbor to West Nyack allowing old homes to deteriorate then tearing them down and doing nothing to stop the flooding south of the reservoir. If we allow them to construct the Haverstraw project they will do nothing to protect the area and if anything goes wrong they will blame someone else. When United Water starts to take responsibility for its actions and manages their facilities so as to have a minimal impact on the community then maybe they should be allowed to build Haverstraw but don't count on it.
Caleb June 13, 2013 at 10:23 pm
Untrue. Perhaps if United Water wasn't sending over 2 million gallons a day from Deforest Lake toRead More they're customers in Bergen County we would not have this shortage. Hydrologists have shown that there is enough water regularly collected in Rockland's reservoirs and aquifers for our current and growing needs. Many of the "facts" that United Water is putting forward are outdated, and are based on they're own mismanagement of our water basin. Lets remember that United Water has repeatedly been removed as a water provider of major cities throughout this country (6+ last time I checked, notably even from Camden NJ) for mismanagement of water resources. I think its a prudent choice to look into a plant that we will be stuck paying for for the next 4 years from a company that has repeatedly lied and provided water with toxin levels high above legal limits to they're customers. Better safe than sorry.
John Taggart June 13, 2013 at 11:59 pm
Rockland has grown to the point that it needs more water. Terminating the flow of a river and takingRead More the water resources away from other communities (stealing what we need) isn't going to happen.