Newport Police Arrest Middletown Man Suspected of Dealing Pills from Coke Truck

Newport Police have arrested a 46-year-old Middletown after a months-long investigation into his alleged prescription-pill dealing out of a Coca Cola work truck in the Newport area.

John T. McKone, 46, of East Main Road, Middletown, is now facing felony drug charges after the Newport Police vice squad watched him begin a drug deal in the RK Towne Center lot on Wednesday morning and promptly arrested him.

At around 8:30 a.m., police saw him sitting in his work truck in front of 200 Broadway. They continued surveillance and watched him leave, stopping at the RK Towne Center parking lot. A woman police said they know to be a drug user was standing in front of Old Navy.

The woman approached and handed McKone something through the window before he drove off onto Connell Highway towards the Rotary Shell.

The woman continued to wait in the shopping plaza and a short while later, McKone came back and the woman got into his truck.

Police then descended on the truck, noticing that McKone made a throwing motion towards the floor as officers approached.

Police collected a total of 17 pills from the floor. They were later identified by police as Oxycodone, a schedule II narcotic.

The woman was searched with negative results and released at the scene.

McKone was transported to police headquarters where officers found half of a small yellow pill that was later identified as hydrocodone, a schedule III narcotic.

McKone was arraigned and ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston. He is due to appear in Second Division District Court on June 24 for a status conference.