STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 A 47-year-old man has been arrested multiple times, accused of selling drugs while armed with a knife and lunging at a police officer during a traffic stop.<\/p>\n
Thomas Kwadjo, formerly of Staten Island and now living on Ainslie Street in Brooklyn, was arrested on Jan. 11. Officers allege they spotted Kwadjo accepting money from an individual in Stapleton. <\/p>\n
The defendant then tossed a twist of cocaine to that individual, according to the criminal complaint, which was based on an investigation by Narcotics Borough Staten Island.<\/p>\n
Inside the defendant\u2019s pants, officers allege they found two larger plastic zipper bags holding smaller bags of cocaine and a knife tainted with residue of that stimulant.<\/p>\n
Traffic stop in Stapleton<\/p>\n
The defendant had prior brushes with the law last year.<\/p>\n
On June 10, police said Kwadjo was sitting behind the wheel of a gray 2023 Nissan Rogue that was idling at about 11 p.m. on Canal Street near Broad Street in Stapleton. The defendant attracted the attention of police when he allegedly failed to signal before driving out of his parking spot on Canal.<\/p>\n
Kwadjo allegedly refused to leave his vehicle when ordered to do so by officers on Wright Street. When an officer opened the driver\u2019s side door, the defendant lunged at the cop, the complaint alleges. Pushing the officer\u2019s head and chest, the defendant caused the officer to stumble backward, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
When officers tried to handcuff Kwadjo, he flailed his arms and tensed his body so vigorously that officers had to call for assistance, the complaint alleges.<\/p>\n
The defendant held foil envelopes in his hand. The complaint alleges that inside the foil was a yellow, wet vegetative substance identified by authorities as phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP or angel dust.<\/p>\n
In another arrest on June 1, Kwadjo was caught with narcotics stashed inside a plastic bag in his pants at Thomson and Bay streets in Stapleton around 8 p.m., authorities allege.<\/p>\n
Confiscated drugs included 40 green plastic zipper bags containing crack cocaine, 36 glassine envelopes holding heroin and five pills of oxycodone, the complaint alleges. <\/p>\n
For his multiple arrests, the defendant faces charges that include criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.<\/p>\n
Kwadjo has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been released on non-monetary conditions in his January case. He is due back in Criminal Court in St. George on Feb. 3, according to public records.<\/p>\n
The defendant also is listed as Kwadjo Thomas in public records.<\/p>\n
Prior conviction in 2023<\/p>\n