Pubdate: Wed, 12 Jan 2005
Source: Watertown Daily Times (NY)
Copyright: 2005 Watertown Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.wdt.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/792
Author: James R. Donnelly, Times Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/checkpoints

FOUR ARE CHARGED WITH HAVING 46 POUNDS OF HASHISH BOUND FOR VERMONT

GOUVERNEUR - Four residents of Canada are facing federal persecution
in Vermont after allegedly being found with 46 pounds of hashish in
their car at a roadblock here.

Jay Pollack, 35, Montreal; Lyle R., Neiman, 43, Pierrefonds, Quebec;
Bernard J. Zeesman, 32, Aurora, Ontario, and Mark S. Shatzky, 27,
Toronto, were arrested during an investigation that began at a U.S.
Border Patrol checkpoint on Route 11 in the town of Gouverneur and
ended in Burlington, Vt.

The investigation began early Sunday when Mr. Zeesman and Mr. Schatzky
were found in possession of the hashish at the checkpoint. Its street
value estimated at more than $200,000 by the St. Lawrence County Drug
Task Force.

Following the discovery, acting District Attorney Gary W. Miles was
notified and task force members from the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's
Department and Potsdam village police, along with state police and
agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, were brought
into the investigation.

"The feds took it. They took it because it was leading out of state,"
Mr. Miles said.

Mr. Zeesman and Mr. Shatzky were turned over to the DEA and taken to
Vermont. The hashish was delivered to Mr. Pollack and Mr. Neiman in
Burlington. They were arrested late Monday, according to the task
force. Futher details about the drug delivery were
unavailable.

All four men were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent
to distribute hashish, a federal crime carrying a sentence of up to 20
years in prison upon conviction. They were to be arraigned in U.S.
District Court in Vermont.

Because the investigation began in St. Lawrence County the county will
share in any assets seized during the investigation, Mr. Miles said.
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