Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith announced that shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, a Deputy Sheriff stopped Christine Varella, 31, for committing a traffic violation on Route 52 in Carmel.
According to Smith, when the deputy approached Varella’s vehicle, he detected the smell of marijuana coming from the car, and upon further investigation found that she was “in possession of quantities of marijuana and a controlled substance.” Information about the controlled substance could not be immediately released by the Sheriff’s Department.
Varella was subsequently arrested and charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of marijuana and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. She was arraigned and processed at Putnam County Correctional Facility. If she is found guilty, she faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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