BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – A routine traffic stop led Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies to an unexpected discovery on Saturday.
In the early morning hours of September 16, Sheriff’s Deputy Jordan Barnett performed a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford Escape on Court Street in the City of Binghamton. While speaking with the driver, who has been identified as 28-year-old Matin Avdel of Johnson City, deputies noticed a clear plastic bag filled with pills and powder in the fanny pack Avdel was wearing. When Avdel was questioned about the substances, he admitted to deputies that he currently possessed narcotics both on his person and in the vehicle he was driving. He also revealed a weapon hidden in the pocket of his hoodie.
After searching Avdel and the Ford Escape, deputies located the following items:
- 12 pills identified as Oxycodone Hydrochloride
- Seven multi-colored pills of various shapes which field tested positive for MDMA
- One pill identified as Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine
- A Ruger LCP Max .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a defaced serial number and two rounds of ammunition in the magazine
After further investigation, deputies arrested Avdel and charged him with the following:
- Criminal Possession of a Loaded Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony
- Four Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, Class A Misdemeanors
Avdel was taken into custody and arraigned in Binghamton City Court. He is currently being held at the Broome County Correctional Facility.
