On March 4, 2025, at about 9:52 p.m., the New York State Police from SP Tarrytown conducted a traffic stop on a gray Toyota Corolla on the New York State Thruway in the village of Ardsley for a cell phone violation. The operator, Rafael Balbi, age 41, of Queens, NY, drove away from the traffic stop and a vehicle pursuit was initiated. During the pursuit, Mr. Balbi threw a prescription pill container and a black plastic bag from his moving vehicle. He then pulled his vehicle over, where he was taken into custody without further incident. The short pursuit lasted less than one mile.
Troopers at the scene searched the highway shoulder and located the discarded items in the grass, including plastic bags of cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA, oxycontin, and an amphetamine pill. Located in Balbi’s vehicle was a duffle bag containing psilocybin mushrooms and edible cannabis products. In its entirety, the arrest led to the seizure of 992 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 133 grams of cocaine, 5 grams of MDMA, 2.2 grams of fentanyl, 0.9 grams of oxycodone, and 0.3 grams of amphetamine.
Troopers transported Balbi to SP Tarrytown for arrest processing and charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 2nd degree (felony), two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree-intent to sell (felony), one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree (felony), one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance 4th degree (felony), four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th degree (misdemeanor), tampering with evidence (felony), and one count of unlawful fleeing (misdemeanor).