Police seize fentanyl and cocaine at bottle redemption center, arrest operator and shut facility

Search warrant leads to drug seizure at recycling business

Police in Cohoes, New York, arrested a 47-year-old man after executing a search warrant at a bottle and can redemption center where investigators reported finding fentanyl, cocaine and items commonly associated with drug distribution.

The warrant was carried out on March 18, 2025, at the Cohoes Bottle and Can Redemption Center, located at 71 Columbia Street. Investigators reported seizing 143.9 grams of cocaine and 7.4 grams of fentanyl, along with packaging materials, a scale and $501 in cash.

Charges filed; arraignment pending

The suspect, identified by police as Sherod E. Cooper of Cohoes, was taken into custody and booked on multiple drug-related counts. Police said he faces a top charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree, a Class A-II felony under New York law.

Additional counts listed by police include two charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, two charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, and two charges of criminally using drug paraphernalia.

Police reported Cooper was being held pending arraignment in Cohoes City Court.

Fentanyl amounts described as potentially lethal

In describing the seizure, authorities emphasized the public-health risk posed by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid measured in milligrams. Federal drug-safety guidance commonly cited by law enforcement notes that small quantities can be dangerous, and police characterized the amount recovered in this case as potentially lethal.

Investigators said the seizure included fentanyl in an amount they described as capable of causing fatal overdoses.

Code enforcement shuts down the location

After the search, local code enforcement shut down the Columbia Street redemption center, police said. The closure came as part of the same enforcement sequence that followed the warrant execution and arrest.

Key confirmed details from the incident

• Date of search: March 18, 2025

• Location: Cohoes Bottle and Can Redemption Center, 71 Columbia Street, Cohoes, New York

• Seized substances reported by police: 143.9 grams of cocaine and 7.4 grams of fentanyl

• Other items reported: packaging materials, a scale, and $501 in cash

• Outcome: one arrest; facility shut down by code enforcement

The case remains in the early court stage. The allegations described by police are subject to adjudication, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.