The head coach of the Hampton Bays High School varsity wrestling team was arrested late last month after he was found to be in possession of heroin and prescription drugs following a routine traffic stop in Flanders, according to Southampton Town Police.Authorities said Paul Hoshyla, 52, was driving on Flanders Road just before 6 p.m. on November 30 when he was pulled over for failing to maintain his lane. Officers said they spotted a quantity of a drug—later identified as heroin—in plain sight on the front passenger seat of Mr. Hoshyla’s vehicle before placing him under arrest.Police said they transported Mr. Hoshyla to police headquarters in Hampton Bays for processing and while searching him found a number of Xanax pills in the pocket of his sweatshirt. Authorities said the prescription medication, which is used to treat anxiety disorders, was not its original container; as of earlier this week, police could not confirm if Mr. Hoshyla had a prescription for the medication.Mr. Hoshyla was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors, and one count of possession of a controlled substance not in its original container, a violation, according to police. He was also ticketed for failing to maintain his lane, also a violation.When reached on Tuesday, Mr. Hoshyla referred all questions to his attorney, Mariel LaSasso of the LaSasso Law Group in Manhattan.Ms. LaSasso said she is confident that the charges against her client will be dropped, stating that neither drug belongs to Mr. Hoshyla. She also pointed out that Mr. Hoshyla has only been ticketed by police and not yet officially arraigned on the drug possession charges.“Paul is a good-natured man who has done a lot of positive for his community,” Ms. LaSasso said. “He received a desk appearance ticket and has not yet been charged formally, and I am confident this matter will be resolved favorably for him.”She later added: “We deny all allegations.”In a prepared statement, Hampton Bays Schools Superintendent Lars Clemensen said this week that Mr. Hoshyla was hired as an assistant wrestling coach in 2003 and took over head coaching responsibilities last year and earns an annual stipend of $8,717. He does not teach in the Hampton Bays district.On Tuesday evening, Mr. Clemensen confirmed that Mr. Hoshyla has agreed to take an administrative leave “pending the outcome of this incident.” He will be replaced by Michael Lloyd, the assistant coach of the varsity wrestling team, for the time being.“In the meantime, the district is investigating the details of the public arrest record and will make subsequent personnel decisions at that time to ensure the safety of all students,” Mr. Clemensen said in the same statement.
Erin McKinley on Dec 6, 2016