Westhampton Beach Assistant Fire Chief Charged With Possessing 175 Bags of Heroin In Department Vehicle

Westhampton Beach Fire Department 3rd Assistant Chief Kevin Raynor was arrested after 175 bags of heroin, packaged for sale, were found in his department car during a traffic stop on Saturday at around 6 p.m., according to Southampton Town Police.Detective Lieutenant James Kiernan said that Mr. Raynor, 32, of Westhampton Beach was driving a fire department-issued vehicle at the time of the arrest. Det. Lt. Kiernan said that the street value of the drugs was approximately $20 per bag, or around $3,500 total.Mr. Raynor is charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class “C” felony, and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class “B” felony.According to a press release, Mr. Raynor was arraigned in Southampton Town Justice Court on Monday morning and released after posting $5,000 bail.Police said he was initially pulled over on Carols Way in Hampton Bays by Town Police Community Response Unit officers for a traffic violation. A felony complaint filed at Town Justice Court states that a subsequent search of the vehicle found that Mr. Raynor had in his possession 175 “glassine envelopes containing heroin packaged for sale,” and that he knowingly and unlawfully possessed the drug “with the intent to sell it.”“This is a significant arrest. We expect it will cause a disruption to the flow of heroin in the Town of Southampton and neighboring areas,” Police Chief Steven Skrynecki said in a prepared statement. “The Southampton Town Police Department continues to work with the Suffolk County district attorney’s office, East End Drug Task Force and others to identify and arrest anyone engaged in heroin trafficking on the East End.”Westhampton Beach Fire Chief Billy Dalton said that Mr. Raynor had been suspended from the department, pending the results of the case.“It’s a difficult situation for us at the fire department, and across the whole fire service,” Mr. Dalton said. “He was my assistant chief, so it’s difficult.”Mr. Raynor’s photo was removed from the Westhampton Beach Fire Department website on Monday.Islip Terrace-based attorney Robert Macedonio, who is representing Mr. Raynor, said that in addition to Mr. Raynor’s roles at the fire department, he has been employed as an EMT for Stony Brook University Hospital since 2007. He is a lifelong resident of Westhampton Beach with no children or spouse and no prior criminal record, Mr. Macedonio said.“He’s a good individual—we take these matters extremely seriously,” Mr. Macedonio said. “Once the investigation is complete, I’m confident this will be resolved in Mr. Raynor’s favor.”In 2009, when Mr. Raynor sustained a broken rib while battling a fire at the former home of George O. Guldi, when the floor collapsed beneath him. Two of his fellow firefighters, Paul Bugge and Paul Hoyle, helped rescue him and were later honored by former Southampton Town Supervisor Linda Kabot for their heroic actions.Mr. Raynor is due back in court on January 16, according to the Town Justice Court.