Cash, Crack Cocaine Found as Police Serve Warrants on Southington Man

A Southington man already facing charges related to a violent disagreement over drug money owed in December is now facing a list of drug sale charges after police served multiple warrants on the 55-year-old Wednesday evening.


Officers in the area of Darling Street stopped Mark Newton near his home after a registration scan of his vehicle determined he was wanted on four warrants stemming from an ongoing investigation into the sale of prescription narcotics in Southington.

Newton, of 10H Darling St. in Southington, was taken into custody on charges including possession of narcotics, possession with the intent to sell and four counts of sale of narcotics. He was processed and held overnight in lieu of $620,000 in bonds.

The Southington resident, formerly also a resident of New Britain, was arraigned in Bristol Superior Court Thursday morning and remained in custody in lieu of bond, court officials said.

“The arrest warrants stem from an investigation over several months into Newton selling abused and diverted prescription narcotics in town,” Sgt. Jeffrey Dobratz said. “Detectives secured information allowing them to obtain several warrants for ongoing drug sales in the community.”

Members of the police department’s Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted surveillance and obtained information regarding sales conducted by Newton over the course of 2013, according to the warrants.

During the motor vehicle stop Wednesday night, Newton was found in possession of 0.5 grams of crack cocaine, as well as $1,943 in cash, police said. He was taken into custody without incident.

Newton has a history in Southington, according to court records, and was arrested in December 2012 following an incident with local resident Jonathan Young where Newton allegedly approached Young and threatened violence if not paid money he was owed from a previous drug deal.  

Young, of Spring Lake Road, allegedly hit Newton, then a New Britain resident, in the head with an aluminum baseball bat after being threatened, according to police reports from the Dec. 13, 2012, incident.

“Newton returned to Young’s home in his vehicle in the company of two other individuals,” Lt. Michael Baribault said in a press release following the incident.

“Young called the Southington Police Department and reported that Newton’s vehicle was outside his home and there had been an earlier dispute over money. Southington officers subsequently stopped Newton’s vehicle and Newton had a visible cut over his left eye and injury to his forehead,” he said.

The case is awaiting disposition, according to court records.

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