A months-long investigation into heroin, cocaine and prescription drug dealing in the Delaware County town of Sidney led to six arrests and the recovery of a trove of cash, drugs and $7,000 in pure silver on Friday, Oct. 17, according to a press release from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.
Police obtained grand jury indictments for five people in the Sidney area, charging them with selling controlled substances in the town and village of Sidney between June and Oct. 2014.
On Friday afternoon, armed with a search warrant and an indictment charging Gabriel V. Bonacci with selling heroin in Sidney on two occasions in July, police raided Bonacci's house on County Highway 23 in the town of Sidney. Bonacci has a prior drug conviction from 1998, according to the press release.
When police arrived at Bonacci's house, Bonacci's mother, 64-year-old Donna M. Bonacci, attempted to sneak out of the house with a box containing a scale and "a variety of controlled substances packaged for sale," including cocaine, heroin, prescription pills and marijuana, according to the press release. She was arrested while attempting to escape, and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.
At the house, police also arrested 27-year-old Rene L. Hurlburt of Unadilla, charging her with selling cocaine three times in the village of Sidney in June.
In Bonacci's house, police report that they found $6,500 cash, a replica handgun, fireworks, and over 400 ounces of ".999 pure" silver bars, which they valued at over $7,000.
Below: Items recovered in a search of Bonacci's house included cash, fireworks, and $7,000 in silver bars. Via the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.
Police made arrested three other people on Friday, and charged all of them with selling narcotics in Sidney in July.
Fifty-three-year-old Belinda Davis of Sidney was charged with selling Oxycodone in Sidney three times that month; 32-year-old Randal L. Babcock, Jr. of Sidney was charged with selling Xanax; and 34-year-old Chad D. Walters of Mount Upton was charged with selling Oxycodone.
All six people were arraigned and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility. The details of their arraignments and bail are below.
Multiple agencies participated in the investigation, including the Delaware County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Unit, the Village of Sidney Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Delaware County Probation Department. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office expects to make more arrested based on what deputies found in their search of Bonacci's residence, according to the press release.
Details of the arraignments, from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office press release:
Donna Bonacci was arraigned in the Town of Sidney Court before the Honorable Steven Rose and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending further court action.
Gabriel Bonacci was arraigned in Delaware County Court on Monday before the Honorable Carl F. Becker and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending further court action.
Chad Walters was arraigned in Delaware County Court on Monday before the Honorable Carl F. Becker and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 cash bail pending further court action.
Rene Hurlburt was arraigned in Delaware County Court on Monday before the Honorable Carl F. Becker and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $15,000 cash bail pending further court action.
Belinda Davis was arraigned in Delaware County Court on Monday before the Honorable Carl F. Becker and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash bail pending further court action.
Randal Babcock, Jr., was arraigned in Delaware County Court on Monday before the Honorable Carl F. Becker and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $7,5000 cash bail pending further court action.
