EXTENSIVE UPDATE: Police: Darien Man, 48, Sold Cocaine Out of Downtown Bars, Had Drugs, Guns in Home With Kids

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Andre Creamer mug shot

Photo from Darien P.D.

November 2020 arrest photo of Andrew Creamer, 48, of Old Farm Road, Darien, charged with various crimes related to drug possession and sales and weapons possession, along with risk of injury to a minor.

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A 48-year-old Darien man who sold cocaine out of downtown bars and had drugs and guns in a house where two children were living was arrested Tuesday, Darien police announced.

UPDATED at 8:55 p.m., Friday, with more details from the arrest warrant and other court records.

Police described what happened with these accounts, including accusations not proven in court (the account from the police announcement on Friday has been updated with information from the police arrest warrant application and arrest report in court records):

Andre Creamer mug shot

Photo from Darien P.D.

Arrest photo of Andrew Creamer, 48, of Old Farm Road, Darien, charged with various crimes related to drug possession and sales and weapons possession, along with risk of injury to a minor.

Andrew Creamer, 48, of 17R Old Farm Road, was arrested at his home Tuesday by police who also searched the house. They found a small amount of cocaine (about two grams) along with items used to package it, as well as two rifles and a shotgun.

Police said the guns and the ammunition for them were “unsecured” in the same house where an 11- and 12-year-old were living.

However a police arrest report filed in state Superior Court in Stamford said the guns were in a spare bedroom behind a locked door.

A Tip, Two Years Ago

The arrest stemmed from an extensive Darien police investigation for the past several months into narcotics sales at more than one drinking establishment downtown, the announcement said.

The announcement did not identify the bar where Creamer was selling, but the arrest report said Creamer went outside Chez Ernie’s Bar to do one transaction they witnessed. At other times they found Creamer driving back and forth between The Goose and his home.

The arrest warrant application said the initial tip to police came about two years ago, in late November 2017. A “concerned citizen” who wanted to remain anonymous told the officer about seeing Creamer dealing cocaine.

The tipster told the officer that Creamer would only have a small amount of cocaine on him, then drive back to his home on Old Farm Road (almost a mile away, not far from Tokeneke School) to get more when he needed it.

The tip was given to a police officer who, with at least one other officer, conducted some surveillance of Creamer at some points.

Long Delay, Then Investigation Revived

But the officer was then put on the overnight patrol shift because of manpower needs in the department, resulting in the investigation being delayed, the officer wrote in the arrest warrant application. The police force has had a relatively high number of retirements and vacant positions in the past couple of years.

The officer’s change in shift seems to have stalled the investigation for a long time, although the officer was able to monitor inside or outside the bars late at night.

The arrest warrant didn’t indicate much of anything going on with the investigation until a few weeks ago: In the week of Oct. 20, 2019, officers in the Selective Enforcement Unit and police detectives were conducting surveillance of Creamer’s home and the local bars.

An undercover officer from another police department in Fairfield County, working with an “electronic monitoring device” (police didn’t say if it was used, or how) worked with Darien police in monitoring Creamer from inside Ernie’s. The arrest warrant application indicated that one night in October (Oct. 24, according to other court records), police watching Creamer saw him selling drugs.

Undercover police, watching outside in the Center Street parking lot, saw another man go to an ATM machine at Wells Fargo bank, near Ernie’s, then, while talking on the phone, walk over to the alley entrance to Ernie’s. Creamer, who had just left the bar, was waiting by the door. The Fairfield County police officer watched Creamer talking on his phone in the bar before he went out to the Center Street door.

Both men got off their phones the same time as soon as they got close to each other at the door. A police officer saw the two appear to engage in an exchange of drugs for money. The man who had gone to the bank appeared to get something from Creamer and put it in his pants pocket.

Police waited until the man who had just gotten the money walked away, toward CVS, then they took him into custody. The man, who had a small amount of crack cocaine in a baggie only about half an inch on a side in his pocket, appeared nervous and agreed to work with police.

The arrest warrant called the man “Confidential Source #1” or “CS#1 (other than the tipster, only called a “Concerned Citizen,” no other confidential source was mentioned in the arrest warrant).

CS#1 was read his Miranda rights and then questioned by police. The man said he had bought cocaine a few times that week from Creamer.

Second Buy

In early November, police arranged to have CS#1 buy some cocaine from Creamer. The man called Creamer, who left home and went to Ernies, and the transaction took place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, according to court records. CS#1 used money police gave him from the Darien Narcotics Fund, the arrest warrant said.

Before the transaction, police searched CS#1 to make sure there was no cocaine on him before the transaction, then fitted him with a listening device (for the man’s safety, police said in the arrest warrant application).

After the transaction, police did a “presumptive” test of the cocaine, and the result was positive. Police applied for an arrest warrant and received approval on Nov. 7.

The Arrest and Search

At 10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12, police went to Creamer’s home, arrested him and conducted the search, the announcement said.

According to the arrest report filed in court, police first went to Creamer’s BMW, parked in the lot behind The Goose restaurant and bar, at 11 p.m. Two men went to the car and sat down in it when police approached them. The men were Creamer’s brother-in-law and father. A Darien police dog, K-9 Kenny, sniffed the car, and police searched inside it but found nothing. Neither of the men were charged with anything, and police didn’t indicate that they were suspected of anything. Creamer’s brother-in-law said Creamer was at home, sleeping.

Creamer’s sister answered the door when police came. She said her two children were sleeping. Police checked on them and said they appeared healthy and well-kept. Police later notified the Department of Children and Families because Creamer had the drugs and guns in the house with the children.

When police went to his bedroom, Creamer didn’t appear to be surprised to see them. When asked if he knew why police were there, he said, “Yeah.”

He was in bed when police went to his room, and he got up and dressed. He told them a small amount of he drugs were in the room next door, as well as an illegal firearm and about $15,000 in cash (police found close to $16,000 in mostly large bills in three stacks on a desk). Police seized another $225 in Creamer’s wallet and a $5 on the floor of his bedroom.

The officer who received the tip (and submitted the arrest warrant application) told Creamer that police had been watching him for two years and knew he didn’t have a job. Cramer told police that he got the money from selling narcotics.

Creamer gave them the key to unlock the deadbolt that secured the bedroom next door. When police went in, they noticed the room was messy (in “complete disarray” the police report said). Pictures were taken before anything was moved.

In that bedroom, they found what the police announcement described as a “small quantity of cocaine.” The police report in court documents said there was a tiny package with two grams of cocaine in it and there was a residue of what was thought to be cocaine on various other items, including a playing card, several straws, butter knives apparently used to dillute the cocaine before sale by adding another substance to it. Police also found “cutting agents,” a measuring cup, glass jars, a digital scale and a mechanical scale.

Also in the room was a device the arrest warrant described as a “small metal drug press.”

Seized items Andrew Creamer drug and weapons arrest

Items seized in the search of Creamer’s home.

A shotgun and two rifles, all unloaded, were in the bedroom, along with ammunition.

Police also found “numerous illegal high-capacity magazines,” according to the announcement. Gun magazines are used to feed bullets into repeating firearms.

“One of the rifles was later determined to be illegal based on its modifications,” the announcement said.

Under the arrest warrant, Creamer was charged with two counts each of sale of narcotics and possession of illegal drugs. Based on what police found at the house, he was charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of narcotics, two counts of risk of injury to a minor, operating a drug factory and illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine.

He was held on a $200,000 in two bonds overnight at Darien Police Headquarters, then taken to state Superior Court in Stamford the next morning. Court records say he’s still being held on the same overall amount, although one of the two bonds was raised from $25,000 (to a total of $50,000) and the other lowered by the same amount.

Creamer’s next court date is Dec. 10. Attorney Lindy Urso of Stamford is representing him.

One Way to Help Police

The announcement also said:

  • The Darien Police [Department] takes seriously its commitment to keep our town drug-free. If you are aware of any narcotic activity, we ask your help by notifying us either by phone or via our online anonymous-tip portal. The portal can be found on our website www.darienpolice.org under the “Services” tab.

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