By Chris Fuchs
After a routine car stop on the Van Wyck Expressway, police arrested a veteran Fire Department battalion chief last week when they discovered what they said were several prescription pill bottles in his vehicle that were not in his name, the Queens district attorney said.
Police identified the chief as Robert Gleason, a 23-year NYFD veteran assigned to the 37th Battalion in Brooklyn. The police officers who pulled Gleason over at the corner of the Van Wyck service road and 109th Avenue found a total of 21 prescription bottles marked “hydrocodone,” several pills believed to be from those bottles on the floor of the car, and a Zip-lock bag containing marijuana tucked in the back of Gleason’s underwear, prosecutors said.
Hydrocodone, a prescription drug, is a pain killer with a chemical composition similar to that of heroine or cocaine. A therapeutic dose of about 5 to 10 milligrams is equivalent to 60 milligrams of oral morphine.
Gleason, 43, was arraigned before Judge Douglas Wong of Queens Criminal Court Friday on several counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance to which he pleaded not guilty. Gleason was being held on $100,000 bail, a spokeswoman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen declined to comment. Gleason’s attorney did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Around 6:30 p.m. last Thursday, two detectives pulled Gleason over as he was driving on the Van Wyck Expressway service road near 109th Avenue, according to a complaint filed by the Queens district attorney. Soon after, the detectives saw Gleason take three yellow pills from his right pocket and throw them to the ground, the complaint said. One of the detectives also witnessed Gleason trying to hide something in his buttocks, prosecutors said.
At that point, the detectives placed Gleason under arrest, searched him first and then the rest of his car, the complaint said. The police found 1 1/2 yellow pills, believed to be the same as those he tossed to the ground, in his right pocket and a pouch of marijuana stored inside the back of the battalion chief’s underwear, prosecutors said.
A search of Gleason’s car turned up a total of 21 pill bottles, all of which were empty except for three and were not in his name, the complaint said. One of the bottles, all marked as “hydrocodone,” was discovered on the front seat of the vehicle and contained four yellow pills, the complaint said. Two other bottles of hydrocodone were found in the car: one that had 48 white pills and another with only two pills, the complaint said.
Reach reporter Chris Fuchs by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 156.
