Two men hit with drug charges in Pearl River incident

BY BILL DEMAREST

PEARL RIVER – A Nanuet man and a Maybrook, N.Y., man were arrested on drug charges early Sunday morning after police stopped their car in Pearl River because it was moving erratically on Townline Road, Orangetown police told the public.

Town officers pulled over a car driven by Jason A. Russio, 25, of Maybrook at about 3:12 a.m. after he was spotted driving erratically, police said. An investigation found that Russio was under the influence of drugs and that his passenger, Eric Silverman, 28, of Nanuet, was in possession of heroin and cocaine, according to police.

Russio was charged with driving while impaired by drugs. Police said the charge is a felony because Russio has previously been convicted of driving while intoxicated. He was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance – heroin – and unlawful possession of marijuana.

Silverman was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Silverman was later released on $500 bail pending an Aug. 11 hearing in Orangetown Town Court. Russio was arraigned and ordered held in the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City on $10,000 bail pending a hearing.

Originally published by Nyack Free Press