Police Blotter: Billy Mac Lewis, Yummi Bears, And a 'Splash of Tonic'

The following information was provided by the Darien Police Department:

Monday, June 28

MARIJUANA POSSESSION: Jared Taylor, 27, of Norwalk was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of illegal fireworks, driving with a suspended license, and failure to display a front license plate after a traffic stop.

Taylor was initially pulled over around 5:49 p.m. when police noticed his 1994 Nissan Altima missing a front license plate. During an interview of Taylor, the officer ascertained that his license was suspended and smelled an odor of marijuana. A search of the car turned up a New York Yankees-themed bag containing illegal fireworks behind the driver's seat, as well as a black backpack underneath a child's car seat containing a sandwich bag with 12.5 grams of marijuana.

A background check by police showed that Taylor, who had an extensive narcotics history, was on parole for a previous charge. His parole officer issued a remand to custody order to Darien Police, which meant that no bond was set. Taylor was scheduled to appear in court June 29.

Connecticut case records show a litany of convictions under a man matching Taylor's name, age, and geography, including narcotics possession in 2008, reckless driving in 2005, sale of a controlled substance in 2004, risk of injury to a child in 2004, and numerous parole violations and counts of driving under a suspended license.

Tuesday, June 29

MONEY ORDER SCAM: A 45-year-old Hoyt St. resident reported the loss of $4,410 after being caught up in a money order scam in which she thought she was acting as a "secret shopper."

According to police, the woman had signed up through the internet several weeks earlier for a program in which, she was told, she would conduct unannounced inspections of retail outlets and write reviews. The woman communicated via email with a person operating under the name Eric Jones, who told her to expect a UPS package with money orders inside.

When the package arrived on June 21, it bore a return address from Ft. Pierce, Fla. and contained two $835 money orders. The woman was instructed to review Walmart and Western Union locations of her choice, for which she could spend $50 at Walmart and keep $200 as payment (along with any items she purchased). When she had cashed the money orders and finished her assignment, the remaining $1,295—after $125 in Western Union fees—was to be forwarded to a Billy Mac Lewis of Lumberton, N.C. 

After completing the first errand, the woman received a second package on June 28—this one containing four $835 money orders—with similar instructions. She was told to spend $100 at a Walmart, keep $200 in payment, and forward the remainder, less fees, to the same Billy Mac Lewis.

Following her second assignment, however, the woman was notified that the money orders she had cashed were fake, leaving her on the hook for the full $4,410 she believed she was depositing in the bank. Though she tried to contact the person who had sent the orders, she was unable to reach the scammer.

Darien police advise that this incident is part of a nationwide scam, and that any business arrangement that requires forwarding the remaining balance of a check or money order should raise a red flag.

Thursday, July 1

LARCENY: A resident of Salisbury Road reported the disappearance of a black and red MTD log splitter, valued at $2500. The owner said it had last been used on June 20 and was noticed missing the morning of June 22. A set of tire tracks was found running from the lot where the item had been kept—an area visible to passersby—to the roadway. Police said they have no suspects in the case.

DRUG POSSESSION: A Norwalk resident was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and numerous drug counts after a fender bender at the downtown Darien Shell Station.

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Saturday, July 3

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: A 17-year-old Darien male was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, possession of alcohol by a minor, and littering after a traffic stop.

Around 12:59 p.m., police observed the teen's 2004 Ford Expedition pulled up alongside a second SUV on Highland Avenue, blocking the roadway. As the unit approached, someone allegedly threw 15 Solo-type cups out the window of the Expedition, which began driving west on Highland. A second, unidentified object was also ejected form the vehicle before Police stopped the SUV on Mansfield Avenue.

The occupants of the vehicle denied throwing anything from the window when interviewed by police, but a search of the Expedition turned up additional cups and numerous cans of Rolling Rock Pale Ale in "various stages of consumption."

The driver failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest; he posted $80 bond and is set to appear in court July 7. Authorities also had the other five passengers contact their parents to be picked up.

MOTOR VEHICLE BURGLARY: A 45-year-old Norwalk woman who had been cleaning at the Office Suites of Darien (30 Old Kings Highway South) reportedly returned to her vehicle to find the front passenger window smashed out and several items missing. According to police, the woman had left her 2006 Ford Explorer parked under the building around 12:30 p.m. and came back at about 3:00 p.m. to discover the damage to the SUV. She told investigators that a black backpack containing $500 in cash, 6 credit cards, 2 GPS units—one $250 TomTom, one $200 unit of unknown make—had been removed from the vehicle. No other vehicles in the lot appeared to have been tampered with, police said.

BREACH OF PEACE: Schuyler Winter, 54, of Stonewall Lane was charged with second degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer after an incident at Pear Tree Point Beach.

Around 7:49 p.m., police responded to a report of a boat behaving erratically in the nearby waters. As they interviewed several people about the complaint, Winter—who was crossing the lot by the beach—allegedly began screaming at the officers about where they had parked their vehicles. At first, police did not realize he was speaking to them, but when Winter continued yelling and gesticulating, they asked him to quiet down to avoid creating an incident.

After further yelling, Winter eventually left, and police were able to finish their questioning regarding the boat. When they had finished, they made contact with Winter and placed him under arrest. He was released on $500 bond and is set to appear in court June 13.

Monday, July 5

COMMERCIAL BURGLARY: The window of Schoolhouse Nutrition was reported smashed in Monday morning by a neighboring business owner. The incident is believed to have occurred between 2 p.m. Saturday and 9:50 a.m. Monday. $90 in merchandise was taken off the sill inside the window, including quantities of Rescue Sleep natural sleep aid, Sleep Success dietary supplement, Propolis supplement, and Yummi Bear vitamins.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE: Jairo Zuniga, 22, of Norwalk was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license, failure to drive right, and driving with a defective headlight after a traffic stop.

Around 12:33 a.m., police noticed Zuniga's 1994 Nissan Sentra missing a headlight as it traveled eastbound on Post Road near Leroy Avenue. As an officer attempted to pull his vehicle over, it was observed swerving, crossing the double yellow line three times. Once the vehicle pulled over, Zuniga told the officer he had been drinking Grey Goose "with a splash of tonic." Police observed glassy and bloodshot eyes, as well, prompting them to conduct field sobriety tests. When Zuniga failed, he was arrested and released on $250 bond. He is set to appear in court July 16.