By JUDY RATTNER and TIFFANY RAZZANO
A search of Edelman-Winstead's apartment, at 51 Lincoln Ave., turned up several assault-style weapons, rifles, a stun gun, a shotgun, a large amount of assorted prescription drugs and computers that contained drug transaction records, along with numerous medical prescription pads.
Edelman-Winstead was charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance, impersonating a police officer, three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument and several traffic infractions.
Nassau County's Third Squad as well as police from Garden City, Rockville Centre, New York City, the Nassau County Narcotics Bureau and the Nassau County district attorney's office cooperated on the case.
According to detectives, Edelman-Winstead was doing what appeared to be a traffic stop at 5:27 p.m. last Friday in Garden City. A Garden City police officer, Kevin Jacobsen, who was on routine patrol, noticed that Edelman-Winstead's vehicle was a black Chevrolet Trail Blazer, and grew suspicious because that model is not used by the Garden City P.D. The officer questioned Edelman-Winstead and learned that he had resigned as an NYPD officer two days earlier, and therefore his traffic stop was unlawful.
Additional Garden City police officers arrived and took Edelman-Winstead into custody. They recovered an identification case containing a New York Police Department badge and a copy of Edelman-Winstead's NYPD identification card.
"Mathew is a young man in need of rehabilitation instead of incarceration," said Michael Franzese, Edelman-Winstead's attorney. "This alleged impersonation appears to be the only time he has ever been accused of acting in this way. He has a clean criminal record. This was precipitated by a driving altercation with another car. He was cut off by that car and responded by pulling the driver over. It appears to be an isolated incident from a troubled kid who needs help and counseling rather than incarceration."
When Edelman-Winstead was being debriefed about weapons he might own or any other police-related items in his apartment, he told police he had some rifles there. After securing a search warrant, detectives recovered the weapons and prescription medications.
People who work near Edelman-Winstead's apartment in the cooperative residence Elmwood House, at 51 Lincoln Ave., say they are shocked by what police uncovered there. "I'm very surprised to learn that somebody right behind us was doing something like that," said Ryan Shirley, who works for Orlin & Cohen Orthopedics.
An employee at Masters & Company Florist who identified herself only as Lori said she was away over the weekend and hadn't heard about the arrest. "I'm shocked," she said. "In this neighborhood you never see anything like that. I'm very shocked that something like that was happening in this area."
One resident of Elmwood House said only, "It's nobody's business but his," referring to Edelman-Winstead.
After his arraignment at First District Court in Hempstead on Sunday, Edelman-Winstead was held without bail for a hearing on Tuesday.
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