MASSAPEQUA, NY — A Deer Park man was arrested late Sunday night after a traffic stop by Nassau County Police led to the discovery of a large cache of weapons and drugs in his vehicle.
Vincent Fandetta, 40, was stopped by officers from the Bureau of Special Operations around 11:51 p.m. on Sunset Highway. Police had initially noticed Fandetta’s 1996 Chevrolet had illegal tints on the front and passenger windows, as well as broken license plate lamps. Upon further observation, Fandetta was also seen failing to maintain his lane while driving.
The officers proceeded to follow the vehicle eastbound, eventually activating their lights and sirens near Louden and County Line Road. Fandetta did not pull over until reaching the southbound ramp to Route 110, where the traffic stop was initiated.
During the stop and subsequent investigation, authorities recovered several weapons and a significant amount of illegal substances from the vehicle. Among the items seized were:
A black expandable baton
A black switchblade
A defaced, silver Raven Arms P25 .25 handgun
A loaded magazine containing six .25 caliber bullets
Yellow metal knuckles
A BB gun
Additionally, officers discovered multiple yellow Ziplock bags containing a white powdery substance, suspected to be cocaine, along with numerous pills believed to be controlled substances.
Fandetta was taken into custody without incident. He now faces multiple charges, including:
Five counts of criminal possession of a weapon
Criminal possession of a firearm
Nine counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance
Four traffic infractions
Following his arrest, Fandetta was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead, where he pleaded Not Guilty to all charges. His bail was set at $35,000 cash, $70,000 insured bond, and $300,000 partially secured surety bond.
The investigation is ongoing, and Fandetta remains in custody while awaiting further legal proceedings.
