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Officer Michael Griffin pulled over the 2006 Dodge Caravan with New York license plates Tuesday afternoon for "failing to keep right for at least a mile and also display[ing] a defective passenger's side tail light," Police Chief Michael Coppola said.
The driver, 40-year-old Hilda Lasanta from Reading, PA, already was facing drug distribution charges from two months ago out of Ulster County, where records show her boyfriend remained held on bail.
Backups Lt. Jesse Cohen and Officer Michael Holland arrived as Griffin spoke with her and her passenger, 33-year-old Scott Miller of Pine Bush, N.Y., Coppola said.
Griffin "discovered elusive behavior and grossly conflicting information than provided by [Lasanta]," he said.
After getting her permission to search the vehicle, Griffin found the 300 wax folded envelopes in the center console, he said.
Officers also found Miller carrying a knife.
Each remained held on $40,000 bail pending court action on charges of distributing and possessing drugs, as well as weapons charges against Miller, records show.
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