Tue Feb 07 2012
Macedonia -- Police say they charged a part-time Chester Township firefighter with felony drug trafficking March 24 after suspected cocaine and marijuana were found in his vehicle, which he backed into an unmarked police car.
According to Stow Municipal Court records, Michael A. Kaminski, 21, of Geauga County, did not enter a plea to one count each of second- and third-degree felony drug trafficking.
He was released from Macedonia City Jail on a personal bond, with orders that he wear a global positioning system tracking ankle bracelet. His pretrial is April 7 before Stow Municipal Court Judge Lisa Coates.
Kaminski and his attorney did not return calls seeking comment before press time.
Macedonia Police Lt. Vince Yakopovich said Kaminski had been the subject of an "ongoing investigation" by police, but declined to say more.
He said that in the afternoon of March 27, Kaminski was under surveillance at a business on Route 82 in Macedonia when he apparently spotted Macedonia police.
"He tried to leave the scene and backed into an undercover police vehicle," said Yakopovich.
Yakopovich said police found 4 ounces of a substance in his car that tested positive as cocaine. A small amount of a leafy substance that tested positive as marijuana was also found, he said.
Chester Township Assistant Fire Chief Karen Meleterno said Kaminski is on "unpaid suspension pending termination."
"As a department, we're disappointed," she said. "We saw no indication that anything like this was going on."
Meleterno said Kaminski started as a cadet in February 2008 and was promoted to part-time status Feb. 13. However, he was still in training had had not started working on shift yet, she said.
E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169
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