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Kason Sumpter of Norwalk and Gregory Goldstein of Wilton were arrested just after midnight Saturday after Darien officers made undercover drug buys from the two in the parking lot at Holmes Elementary School, police said.
The case began over the past few weeks, as the Darien Police Department Detective Division and Selective Enforcement Unit developed information about illegal narcotics activity involving numerous Darien High students, police said.
Officers determined that Sumpter and Goldstein were responsible for the sales, which were facilitated through text messages and social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and SnapChat.
An undercover officer then arranged to meet with Sumpter to buy narcotics, police said. Sumpter agreed to meet in the parking lot of Holmes Elementary School at 18 Hoyt St. and said he would be in a black SUV, police said. Several officers, including a K-9 Unit, were positioned nearby, police said.
At 12:25 a.m. Jan. 13, a black SUV entered the parking lot on the south side of the school property, police said.
As the undercover officer approached the SUV, he recognized the front seat passenger as Sumpter and saw that he had a plastic package in his left hand, police said.
The officer went to make the transaction, however, the driver, later identified as Goldstein, began to drive off for an unknown reason, police said.
At that point, numerous officers moved in and took both men into custody without incident, police said.
While searching Sumpter, officers located 4.8 grams of marijuana in a plastic baggie, police said. While searching Goldstein, they found a small quantity of marijuana in a plastic baggie in his front pocket, police said.
In the vehicle, officers located a baggie containing 13 more grams of marijuana, several vaping devices, and vape cartridges containing THC oil, police said.
During this investigation, there was no evidence that the previous narcotics transactions had taken place on any school grounds in the Town of Darien, police said.
The vehicle, a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer belonging to Goldstein’s father, was towed from the scene, police said.
Goldstein and Sumpter were transported to headquarters to be fingerprinted, photographed, and processed.
Sumpter, of 100 San Vincenzo Place, Norwalk, was charged with possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, and attempt to commit sale of marijuana.
His bond was set at $25,000 for a court appearance on Jan. 23.
Goldstein, of 3 Church St., Wilton, was charged with possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy to commit sale of marijuana.
His bond was set at $2,500 for a court appearance on Jan. 23.
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