FL Man Extradited To NY After Drug Selling Accusation

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — The Putnam County Sheriff's Department reported several Narcotics Enforcement Unit arrests that occurred over the past summer. One of the arrests involved a Florida man who, authorities said, was selling crack cocaine and heroin in Putnam County.

The sheriff's department said, in November 2018, the narcotics unit developed information that Rafael Veras-Molina, 28, of Orlando, Florida, who was at the time temporarily living in Danbury, Connecticut, was selling narcotics in the county.

On at least two occasions, the sheriff's department said, NEU members were able to arrange the purchase of crack cocaine and heroin from Veras-Molina.

In May 2019, he returned to Florida and an arrest warrant was signed by a judge in the Town of Southeast Justice Court.

On July 16, the sheriff's department was contacted by authorities in Florida who said Veras-Molina was trying to make a firearms transaction in the Orlando area when his arrest warrant status was discovered.

Putnam County NEU members contacted the Orange County, Florida, sheriffs and Veras-Molina was apprehended.

NEU members traveled to Florida Aug. 6 and took him into custody, following extradition procedures.

Veras-Molina was brought back to New York where he was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, all felonies.

He was arraigned in the Town of Southeast Justice Court and sent to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond.

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