Bethlehem police arrested two Glenmont residents Wednesday, July 6, after executing a search warrant on a Route 9W apartment.
Henry J. Rauche III, 26, of 620 Route 9W, and his wife, Rebecca L. Bradford, 25, were both arrested after drugs and weapons were allegedly found in the apartment. Police said an assault rifle, high capacity magazines, ammunition, switchblade knives, heroin, methadone pills and hypodermic needles were seized.
Both were charged with the felonies of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, as well as the misdemeanors of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and criminal possession a hypodermic instrument.
This isn’t the first time the duo have been arrested on weapons charges. They were also arrested in May, when they allegedly led State Police on a chase through Schenectady. Sergeant Dennis Schager of the State Police said after Rauche crashed his 2010 Chevrolet Camaro off of the Michigan Avenue exit of I-890, he and Bradford took off on foot.
Police said both were apprehended and Bradford was found to have a .45-caliber handgun in her purse. A search of the car also revealed a loaded assault rifle, police said.
It was actually a unique assault rifle. It didn’t really have a stock on it and it had a short barrel, Schager said.
The two were arrested on felony weapons possession charges.
Earlier this week, Bethlehem police had another run-in with the couple. According to police reports, Bradford crashed her motorcycle on July 4 in Glenmont. She was taken to Albany Medical Center.
Rauche was charged with a number of crimes connected to that incident, including criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He allegedly had a bottle containing methadone pills on his motorcycle, and police said he admitted to photocopying a temporary Florida license plate off of another motorcycle for use on his wife’s bike.
Bethlehem police were heading to his apartment on an arrest warrant for additional charges on Wednesday and in the course of the arrest observed the illicit materials, according to the department’s Lt. Thomas Heffernan. They arrested the couple and obtained a search warrant before returning.
In both instances, police said it’s unclear why the couple had the weapons. They’ve allegedly refused to speak with police. State Police said the investigation into the May arrests was taken over by the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, but it was not immediately clear what the status of the case is.
Rauche and Bradford were both remanded to Albany County jail without bail and are scheduled to reappear in Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, July 12.
RAUCHE
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Police: duo had assault rifle, drugs in Glenmont apartment