Wrong-Way Driver and Passenger With $10K Cash Raise Suspicions in Early Hyannis Stop [Photo Notes]
HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS — Plainclothes Barnstable police officers watched a dark-colored sedan pull out of a hotel parking lot and drive the wrong way down Main Street just after 1 a.m. Tuesday. They quickly stopped the car near the intersection with Sea Street.
A records check on the 25-year-old driver from Chelsea showed multiple past entries on his adult record, including gun and drug charges. Officers reportedly spotted what appeared to be drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle, including a straw with powdery residue.
The passenger had no identification. The name and date of birth he gave returned no matches in the system. Both men told officers they had just left the hotel after visiting a friend from the city who was staying there.
Officers had the pair step out of the car. During a pat frisk, they found roughly $10,000 in cash in the passenger’s front pocket. When asked what he did for work, the passenger said he installs drywall. Pressed for the name of his company, he reportedly said he works for “a friend.”
The stop occurred in an area with a history of narcotics activity. Officers called for a Barnstable Police K-9 unit trained in drug detection. The dog and officers searched the vehicle but found no narcotics.
The large amount of cash led officers to wonder whether a sale had just taken place. Without further evidence, both men were released. The driver received a traffic citation for driving the wrong way on Main Street. The entire encounter was documented, and both men were told what had raised suspicions. They appeared to understand. Before leaving, the passenger shook an officer’s hand. Earlier, he reportedly told officers he is from Revere.
No arrests were made. The driver and passenger walked away — one with a ticket, the other with his $10,000 still in his pocket. It was just early morning business as usual on the streets of Hyannis.
HN Reminder: The initial details contained in the above report are based on radio transmissions and information from police sources. All potential defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is brought to you by Astrud Gilberto…
[CLICK IT/CRANK IT! HEADPHONES ABSOLUTELY OBLIGATORY!]
