NORWICH – Opening statements for a jury trial are set to take place Thursday, pending the expected completion of a two-day long jury selection. The Chenango County Court case involves a New Berlin man who was arrested in 2014 for allegedly being involved in the possession and sale of a large amount of heroin.

Jose Iran Gonzalez, 48, of New Berlin was originally arrested in Oct. 1, 2014 by the Norwich Police Department.

Gonzalez, then 47, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony; possession with intent to sell; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a class A misdemeanor; and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor.

It is alleged at approximately 1:34 a.m. on Oct. 1 at the Howard Johnson's Hotel parking lot, located at 75 N. Broad St. in the City of Norwich, Gonzalez did knowingly and unlawfully possess 45 envelopes containing the narcotic drug heroin and 10 oblong white tablets marked “176” containing the narcotic drug dihydrocodeinone with acetaminophen with the intent to sell.

This arrest stemmed from an alert which was put out by the New Berlin Police Department for a stolen vehicle.

It is also alleged that when the vehicle was located in the Howard Johnson's parking lot that there was another individual inside the vehicle. Gonzalez was not in the vehicle when the car was approached but was found nearby.