2 Men Arrested In Cooperstown Raid

On Heroin, Marijuana Related Charges

COOPERSTOWN – Two Cooperstown men, Ryan R. West, 22, and Timothy L. Pirone, 20, were arrested this morning after a raid of their apartment at 43 Pioneer St. and charged with “a multitude of drug-related charges,” Village Police Chief Michael K. Covert announced.

Village police received information in early September of suspected drug possession and usage in the 43 Pioneer, Covert said in a press released.   Officers and the District Attorney’s Office investigators developed probable cause and obtained a search warrant from Otsego Town Judge Leslie B. Friedman.

At 7 a.m. today, members of the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Bureau and K-9 unit executed the no-knock warrant, assisted village officers, D.A. investigators and sheriff’s investigators.

Covert said officers seized hypodermic syringes, small quantity of heroin and marijuana, wax paper envelopes, metal spoons with heroin residue and a marijuana plant.

West was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh degree; UPM, criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument, growing of the plant known as cannabis by unlicensed persons and loitering in the first degree.  Pirone was arrested for growing of the plant known as cannabis by unlicensed persons, UPM and loitering in the first degree.

They were arraigned by Hartwick Town Judge Orrin D. Higgins and remanded to the county jail  on bail returnable Sept. 30 in Otsego Town Court. West’s bail was set at $3,000 and Pirone’s bail was set at $2,000.  If convicted, both face up to one year in the county jail

Assistant District Attorney William C. Green is prosecuting the case.