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Rensselaer County Criminal Investigation Unit Eliminates Narcotics Operation On 8th Street

This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit Takes Down A Narcotics Operation On 8th Street In Troy



Troy, New York



In the early hours of the morning while a thunderstorm was pushing through the area the Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit and Emergency Services Unit was storming eighth street from all directions to conduct another narcotics search warrant execution. Deputies, Emergency Services Unit, and the undersheriff stacked up on the front door of 370 8th Street and with rain down pouring on the team, The Emergency Services Unit took the front door in a single swing and deployed a flash bang into the home. The loud explosion and bright light shook the home and the nearby neighborhood  where numerous residents came out of their homes to see what was going on. The Emergency Services Unit quickly took down all of the target suspects in the home. As soon as the house was clear the Emergency Services Unit packed up there equipment and notified the Criminal Investigation units team members that it was clear for them to make entry to the home.



Investigators made their way inside of the home and began to search for the narcotics. It did not take very long for investigators to locate the highly addictive and dangerous narcotics that were being sold out of the home. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office deployed their narcotic sniffing K-9 Delta into the home to finish the drug sweep. Investigators were able to locate a significant amount of ecstasy, crack cocaine and other narcotics. Investigators were also able to locate a very large amount of cash and packaging materials. Investigators took the individuals inside of the home down to the Rensselaer County Jail for processing and further questioning. Michael Bonilla convicted felon that was out on parole was arrested and charged with numerous felonies in connection with the narcotic search warrant. Michael Bonilla from Troy is charged with multiple felonies, including third-degree felony criminal possession of narcotics drugs with intent to sell, second-degree felony possession of a stimulant, and third-degree felony criminal possession of a controlled substance/narcotics. Investigators also seized a significant amount of cash from the residence that is normally utilized for additional operations to cover the cost of overtime and buy essential equipment for the Sheriffs office. 



The Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit is cleaning up the streets of Troy,NY by going after narcotics dealers that are pushing the highly addictive narcotics and deadly fentanyl onto the streets of Rensselaer County that continues to kill numerous individuals each week. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office has conducted numerous search warrant executions on multiple narcotics dealers in the last few weeks. The Criminal Investigation Unit is utilizing code enforcement to come in after the narcotics search warrant are completed so that a full proper inspection of the house can be completed and most of the time the homes that are in repugnant conditions are immediately shut down and the occupants of the home are not allowed to return until all of the proper fixes are completed.Residents of the city of Troy are beginning to see an the extraordinary efforts of the Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Unit’s hard work and dedication to eliminating the narcotics problems that are plaguing the streets of the city of Troy and Rensselaer county. 



Sergeant Kyle Bourgault, the spokesperson for the Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office, told Sidewinder Photography “The Rensselaer County Sheriffs Office wants to remind the residents of the City of Troy and Rensselaer County to keep the significant amount of tips coming into our drug tip line at 518-270-0128. The public should know that their tips are leading the hard working men and women in the Criminal Investigation Unit to the narcotics dealers that are causing quality of life and public safety issues in our communities. Residents can continue to call day or night and know that we will continue to work
tirelessly, shutting down narcotics dealer’s operations here in Rensselaer County”.


"We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement in fighting back against the opioid epidemic. So many in our region have been hurt or lost to overdose and addiction, and sadly, the casualties continue to escalate. Effective policing, like the action taken by our Rensselaer County Sheriff's, sends the messages to dealers of dangerous drugs that their actions will not be tolerated or ignored. We will continue the fight to protect our families," said County Executive Steve McLaughlin.



"Rensselaer County has dedicated significant resources to the fight against opioid addiction and works every day to get the message out that use of illegally obtained drugs can lead to tragic and even fatal consequences. Every neighborhood is on the front lines of the battle, and we appreciate the work by our Sheriff's Department to arrest those responsible for distributing dangerous drugs into our communities," said county Public Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas.

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JEFFREY BELSCHWINDERSenior Correspondent

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