50°
Osman Hoti, 40, denied Officer Joseph Convery consent to search the 1999 Honda, so he alerted Lt. John Andronaco, who responded with K-9 Timmy, Police Chief James Walters said.
Hoti "showed signs of extreme nervousness," the chief said. "His hand were shaking uncontrollably."
He then told Convery that he'd gone food shopping in Paterson for his sick parents, Waters said, adding that the entire stop was recorded on the officer's body camera.
Convery ordered Hoti out of the vehicle, then patted him down and found a bulge in his right pants pocket that Hoti said was candy, the chief said.
"You can search my trunk," he told the officer, raising Convery's suspicions, Waters said.
Andronaco and Timmy arrived, and the canine gave a positive indication for drugs, he said.
The lieutenant and Convery began searching the vehicle and found what they said was a cut straw with residue inside. That led to a search of Hoti, whose "candy" turned out to be three bundles of heroin individually stamped "Top Shelf," the chief said.
Hoti was charged with drug possession and received traffic summonses before being sent to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
Click here to follow Daily Voice West Milford and receive free news updates.
