NEW PALTZ — A Brooklyn man faces felony drug charges after state police discovered more than 200 grams of cocaine during a traffic stop on the New York State Thruway.
Members of the Troop F Community Stabilization Unit conducted the stop at approximately 5:48 p.m. on April 3 when they observed a 2022 Chevrolet traveling northbound with multiple traffic violations.
During the stop, officers interviewed the vehicle’s operator, a 25-year-old female from Sandy Springs, Georgia, and her passenger, Michael T. Cole, 37, of Brooklyn.
A search of Cole revealed the cocaine, while a subsequent search by State Police K9 Kell found no additional contraband in the vehicle.
The female driver was issued Uniform Traffic Tickets and released.
Cole was arrested and transported to the State Police barracks in Highland for processing.
He was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 2nd Degree, a Class A Felony, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree with Intent to Sell, a Class B Felony.
Following arraignment at the Ulster County Court Centralized Arraignment Part, Cole was remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail.
The investigation remains ongoing.
