Long Island police find weapons, drug stash on New Jersey man after Oceanside traffic stop

A New Jersey man pulled over by Nassau County police in Oceanside faces multiple drug and weapons charges after officers allegedly turned up a stash of law enforcement uniforms and paraphernalia, narcotics, ammunition and "miscellaneous gun parts," authorities said.

Joseph Zuziela, 43, of Branchburg, New Jersey, was taken into custody shortly after the traffic stop at 11:45 p.m. Thursday near Merrick and Oceanside roads, Nassau police said in a news release. Zuziela had "an open arrest warrant out of Somerset County, New Jersey for which he will be extradited," the release said. Police did not include details about the warrant or why officers stopped Zuziela.

Officers recovered "law enforcement paraphernalia," including multiple police uniforms, handcuffs and a gold badge, police said. They also recovered a metal baton, metal knuckles, metal knuckle knives, counterfeit money, miscellaneous gun parts, ammunition, "a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, glassine envelopes containing a tan powdery substance believed to be heroin, a red liquid substance believed to be methadone, and assorted pills believed to be dextroamphetamine," the release said.

One photograph in the release shows a blue uniform-style shirt with NYPD school safety officer patches on both arms. Another shows a similarly styled dark or navy blue shirt with arm patches for the Somerset County Sheriff's Office in New Jersey.

Nassau police charged Zuziela with two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and arrest warrant: fugitive from justice, a spokesperson for the department said.

At an arraignment Friday at First District Court in Hempstead, Zuziela pleaded not guilty to the drug and weapons charges as well as six additional charges, including driving a vehicle too slow, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving a vehicle without insurance and driving a vehicle without an inspection certificate, according to court documents. 

Court records indicate prosecution requested bail for Zuziela, but he was released with non-monetary conditions. He is due back in court for a conference on Aug. 23.

Police did not say why Zuziela was allegedly in possession of the police uniforms and law enforcement paraphernalia.

The Nassau County Police Department asks that anyone who feels they may have been a victim of Zuziela, or may have had interactions with him, to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.