Utica, NY – A traffic stop on Oneida Street led to the arrest of two individuals on drug-related charges. The stop occurred on Thursday at approximately 9:40 PM amid ongoing complaints of narcotics activity in the Oneida Square area.
During the stop, officers discovered that a female passenger had an outstanding warrant, prompting her arrest. A subsequent search revealed suspected narcotics in her possession.
The driver, 67-year-old John Martarello of New Berlin, was asked to exit the vehicle, leading to a search that yielded a significant quantity of suspected cocaine. He was taken into custody and transported to the Utica Police Department.
Both Martarello and the female passenger, 47-year-old Noel Cianni-Bushnell of Utica, face multiple charges related to the incident. Martarello was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree and the seventh degree, in addition to vehicle and traffic law violations.
Cianni-Bushnell is charged with having a warrant for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and also criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.