Trio from Flanders, Riverhead busted on drugs & weapons charges
Three local men were arrested on a slew of drugs and weapons charges after cops in Hampton Bays busted them in a parked car packed with drugs and drug paraphernalia, a loaded handgun and almost $1,700 cash early Saturday, Southampton Town police said.
The men — Justin Benkov, 26, and Joshua McDermott, 23, both of Flanders and Kenneth Gordon, 36, of Riverhead — were parked behind Charlie Brown’s Pub on West Montauk Highway when Community Response Unit officers observed them “acting in a suspicious manner,” police said.
“The officers made contact with the driver and immediately observed a quantity of marijuana as the subject was engaged in rolling a marijuana cigarette,” a police report reads. Cops said the trio was preparing to smoke the hand-rolled cigarette while also drinking alcohol in the car.
An investigation then revealed more than 10 more bags of marijuana packaged for sale, 13 illegal Oxycodone pain pills, more than half a gram of cocaine, a drug scale, packaging supplies, $1,696 cash and a loaded and defaced Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol, police said.
Mr. Benkov is facing three weapons charges and three drug charges. Mr. McDermott and Mr. Gordon are each facing two drug charges and an open alcohol charge. The charges range from felonies to violations.
Mr. Benkov and Mr. McDermott were being held for arraignment. Mr. Gordon was released without bail and is due in court May 16.
