3 Ounces Of Fentanyl Seized In LI Traffic Stop Could Have Caused 'Countless Overdoses And Deaths': Sheriff

LONG ISLAND, NY — A Bay Shore man bolted from a traffic stop and was found with nearly three ounces of fentanyl on Saturday, Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon's office said.

Carl Chin, 41, was driving westbound on Sunrise Highway, east of exit 51 in Patchogue, when a deputy sheriff tried to pull him over for failing to maintain his lane at around 11:22 p.m., officials said.

Chin initially refused to pull over, but when he did, the deputies saw him throwing a substance out of the vehicle's window, according to the office. The bag was recovered and later positively identified as around 82 grams of fentanyl, the office said.

He was arrested and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and unlawful fleeing from police, among other charges, according to the office.

Toulon noted that fentanyl is one of the deadliest drugs on our streets today, and the amount recovered could have caused "countless overdoses and deaths."

“I commend our deputies for getting it out of our community and for ensuring the criminal responsible will face justice," he added.

Chin was arraigned on Sunday, and remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility, though later released on $100,000 bond, according to Toulon's office.

There is no defense attorney on file, court records show.