A 56-year-old Darien, Connecticut man was arraigned this week after New York State Police say they found him naked and showing signs of impairment at the Bedford Service Area on southbound Interstate 684 in Somers. Virgil J. Naveda now faces felony drug possession charges, along with public lewdness and impaired driving counts, following the encounter earlier this week.
Troopers responded to the service area at approximately 3:24 p.m. on September 22 and found Naveda in that condition, according to news.halstonmedia.com. Investigators say a field sobriety test confirmed he was under the influence, according to News 12 Hudson Valley. As News12 New York reported, Naveda was taken into custody at the rest stop just before 3:30 p.m.
Vehicle Search Turns Up Meth and Party Drugs
After the arrest, police searched Naveda's vehicle and reported finding a stash of controlled substances. The halstonmedia.com report describes an impound and inventory search that allegedly uncovered approximately 66 grams of gamma-butyrolactone, or GBL, along with 49 grams of butanediol, 7 grams of methamphetamine and numerous items of drug paraphernalia. The station's report notes GBL and butanediol are chemical precursors that convert in the body to GHB, a substance sometimes associated with club and party settings.
A separate account from the same search gives a different butanediol figure. Per the News 12 Hudson Valley report, troopers discovered 66 grams of GBL, 9 grams of butanediol and 7 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle, along with multiple items of drug paraphernalia. The two accounts agree on the amounts of GBL and methamphetamine but diverge sharply on how much butanediol was recovered, and the discrepancy has not been resolved.
Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Filed
Naveda was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, along with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, three counts of public lewdness and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, per the same account from halstonmedia.com. The controlled-substance counts stem directly from what troopers say they found during the search of his vehicle.
Naveda was arraigned on September 24 in Town of Bedford Court, where he was released on his own recognizance. He is directed to return to court on September 30, according to the halstonmedia.com report.
