Lark Street shop owner busted
Among the items Albany police say they found while searching the Jay's Place shop on Lark Street: 4 bags of powder cocaine and 16 bags of heroin (in the bathroom); 98 pairs of Nike Shoes, 30 NorthFace jackets, and 14 Gucci bags (all allegedly counterfeit). The APD says the beat officer for the neighborhood stopped by the store (corner of Lark and Hudson) Friday to talk with the owner who was outside, smelled pot and noticed the owner was "very nervous." The owner -- who's Lance, not Jay, according to the APD -- was arrested.
APD: Lark Street store owner arrested
Albany police arrested a 26 year old Sparkhill Avenue man Friday night after he was caught by an alert neighborhood beat officer with two ounces of cocaine and counterfeit clothing.
Officer Michael Geraci who overlooks the Center Square and Hudson Park neighborhoods, stopped to talk to Lance Haines, 20 Sparkhill Avenue, in front of Jay's Place, 252 Lark Street, at approximately 7:50 p.m. Friday night. The officer immediately noticed an odor of marijuana coming from inside the store. Haines who is the owner was very nervous and told the officer that no one was inside the store.
Officer Geraci investigated the smell of marijuana and determined it was coming from the store's bathroom. A check of the bathroom revealed three bags of powder cocaine and 16 bags of heroin that were sitting on the bathroom counter.
A search warrant was obtained and another bag of powder cocaine was located behind the bathroom counter. A total of two ounces of powder cocaine was located during the incident.
Officer's also seized 98 pairs Nike Shoes, 30 North Face Jackets, and 14 Gucci handbags, all which were counterfeit.
Nobody else was located inside the store.
Haines was charged with two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia 2nd, Unlawful Possession of Marijuana, and Trademark Counterfeiting 1st.
He was arraigned Saturday morning in City Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.
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Comments
Your google maps link should include more than "252 Lark Street" for those of us not in Albany
Editors: Fixed. Thanks.
... said Test McPost on Apr 3, 2012 at 9:18 AM | link
I always wondered how that place could make enough money to stay in business. That explains it.
... said Tim on Apr 3, 2012 at 9:49 AM | link
Definitely impressed by the Lark St beat Cop lately. This should be a model for the city.
... said Jessica R on Apr 3, 2012 at 10:16 AM | link
Yes, Officer Geraci is very energetic and engaged with the people in the neighborhood. Let's not complement him to much or he might get promoted. :-)
... said Tim on Apr 3, 2012 at 10:25 AM | link
Amazing, the first beat cop who can smell, he should visit a few other corner stores on Lark.
... said B on Apr 3, 2012 at 10:28 AM | link
this is the store above Zac's.... at first i was a little freaked out - but i have no idea about the owner/store upstairs... im just glad zac is good, and thai is good ha
... said Jacky on Apr 3, 2012 at 10:41 AM | link
Jason Marx is the owner of Jay's Place. Everyone knows this, besides, it's all over facebook about he's letting Lance fall for it. This place should not be in business
... said toots on Apr 3, 2012 at 7:01 PM | link
@moot - If everyone knows it, then why'd you feel it was necessary to post it here?
... said Tim on Apr 4, 2012 at 10:49 AM | link
I live right near there and there's always cars pulling up in front or around the corner, leaving their flashers on and running in for a minute before coming out with nothing... Called it
... said Mk on Apr 11, 2012 at 4:24 PM | link