Pleasantville Couple Arrested

A Pleasantville couple's call for medical help resulted in their arrest Tuesday on felony armed-robbery and drug charges after an investigation by police from Pleasantville, Mount Pleasant and New Castle.

Police were called to the apartment of James Graziano, 24 and his girlfriend Tara Persuad 19 shortly before 3 p.m., when Persuad complained of feeling sick. Officer Aaron Hess of Pleasantville suspected that Persuad may have been suffering from a drug-related problem. While he was helping her, he noticed drug paraphernalia inside the apartment then called for backup.

While Persuad was taken to a hospital, accompanied by Graziano, police obtained a search warrant.

Investigators returned to the apartment shortly before 8 p.m. and found what they suspected to be heroin, crack cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, used hypodermic needles and items commonly used to cook and package drugs. A drug sniffing dog located more drugs inside the couple's car, as well as a stolen wallet from a robbery in New Castle, a stolen credit card and a BB gun that police believe was used in a Mount Pleasant robbery and possibly in other robberies.

Early Wednesday morning, Graziano and Persuad were charged with a variety of felony and misdemeanor drug charges by Pleasantville police and with a first-degree robbery by Mount Pleasant police.

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Defending Westchester County Drug Charges

Your case may seem rather hopeless. Law enforcement may have discovered drugs on your person, in your car or on your property. You may feel that you were "caught in the act." Although the odds may seem against you, a highly experienced Westchester County drug crime attorney can still work to seek a positive case outcome on your behalf. As an example: law enforcement may have conducted a search and discovered illegal narcotics. What if they did not have a valid search warrant for this or did not have probable cause? A lawyer may be able to effectuate a dismissal of your case after a suppression hearing designed to protect your constitutional rights against warrantless search and seizure. 

New York State drug laws are constantly evolving. The best New York State and Westchester County drug crime lawyers not only keep fully informed of these changes, but they utilize them to the full advantage of their clients. In Westchester County, Attorney Robert Schuster is one of these such lawyers.