The West Hartford Police Department’s Community Support Unit charged a Hartford man in connection with the stolen vehicle as well as possession of narcotics.

By Ronni Newton

Members of the West Hartford Police Department’s Community Support Unit detained a man on Monday afternoon who was returning to a parked vehicle they had identified as suspicious in the area of New Park Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, and a search of the vehicle yielded a large supply of drugs and cash.

Capt. Aaron Vafiades said in a news release Wednesday that on Monday, March 3, at approximately 2:39 p.m., CSU members observed a parked 2023 Acura TLX with a misused registration plate. A child was sitting in the passenger seat of the Acura, police said.

The operator of the vehicle, identified as Benny Goodman, 30, of White Street in Hartford, was detained by police as he walked back to the car from Flatbush Plaza, and when police searched the vehicle the discovered and seized: 5.48 pounds of fentanyl pills, 70.5 grams of loose fentanyl, 272.15 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 4.88 pounds of marijuana, 48.9 grams of suspected Xanax, and 6.7 grams of suspected Oxycodone. Police also seized $2,892 in cash.

According to Vafiades, it was determined that the Acura had been stolen from New York City.

Goodman was charged with operation of a drug factory, possession with intent to sell over one kilogram of cannabis, possession with intent to sell a narcotic (subsequent offense), possession with intent to sell a hallucinogenic, possession of cannabis plant material over 5 ounces, four counts of possession of a controlled substance, risk of injury to a child, misused plate, possession of a  motor vehicle with a changed identification number, illegally altering a motor vehicle, larceny of a motor vehicle, and first-degree larceny.

He was released after posting $150,000 surety bond and is due in court for arraignment on March 13, according to online court records.

Online records also indicate that Goodman was previously convicted on weapons charges in 2014 and on drug and parole violation charges in 2017, and has served several jail terms.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact West Hartford Police at 860-523-5203, or via the anonymous tip line 860-570-8969 or [email protected].

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