Police: Three arrested in Colonie drug investigation

PHOTOGRAPHER: Shutterstock Image

Top: Yuriy Ponomarev and Jaclyn J. Smith; Bottom: Joseph L. Dinovo

COLONIE — Three people have been arrested, two on felonies, after a drug investigation in Colonie, police said Thursday.

Police had been investigating heroin sales in the Colonie area over the past four months, police said. The arrests were made Wednesday.

The investigation focused on Colonie resident Yuriy I. Ponomarev, 36, after police developed information that he was selling heroin throughout the town, police said.

Ponomarev twice sold heroin to an undercover officer in November, and investigators saw him selling heroin Wednesday to another person at Lake Shore Apartments, police said.

Police arrested Ponomarev and got a search warrant for an apartment associated with him at Lake Shore Apartments.

Another man, Joseph L. Dinovo, 69, of Rexford, ran out the back of the apartment during the search and was arrested after a short foot chase, police said. He allegedly possessed cannabis.

The third person arrested, Jaclyn J. Smith, 35, of Watervliet, described as Ponomarev’s girlfriend and occupant of the apartment, was found to possess more than six grams of heroin, police said.

Ponomarev was charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, felonies. Smith faces one count each of third-degree and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, police said.

Dinovo was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest, misdemeanors, along with violation marijuana possession.