DANVERS — A man stopped on suspicion of drunken driving Wednesday night on Route 1 in Danvers told police that the cup of booze they noticed in his cup holder was a drink he purchased at Revere's Squire Lounge.
The problem — he was banned from visiting that particular establishment after another arrest in Revere earlier this month.
Stephen Sarnie, 49, of Everett pleaded not guilty to charges of second-offense drunken driving, possession of oxycodone, having an open container of alcohol while driving, carrying a dangerous weapon (a switchblade), speeding and driving to endanger during his arraignment yesterday in Salem District Court.
Prosecutors there tried, unsuccessfully, to have Sarnie's bail in the Revere case revoked, based on his statement to police Wednesday that he had just been to the Squire Lounge, a strip club he was under a court order to stay out of as a result of a recent incident there.
But his lawyer, Paul Moraski, argued that Sarnie was simply confused and that he had actually been to the Golden Banana in Peabody on Wednesday evening.
It was among several explanations Sarnie gave his lawyer for what looked like incriminating evidence to state police Trooper Stevie Browning, who pulled Sarnie's Chevy van over just before 11 p.m. Wednesday after radar showed he was going 79 mph in a 50 mph zone on Route 1 north.
Browning said in a report that Sarnie failed a series of field sobriety tests and smelled of alcohol. He was arrested on the drunken-driving charges — despite his repeated demands that he be allowed to speak to a particular state police captain he claimed to know.
In the van, Browning found a metal tin with what appeared to be pills inside, according to the report.
Sarnie said the pills were oxycodone tablets. A dozen of the pills were loose, and 93 others were in a plastic bag, police said.
But yesterday, Sarnie told his lawyer that the bag contained mints that were in the tin container, given to him at his Everett High 30-year class reunion recently, and that the trooper's report was in error.
Sarnie also told police that he was in Danvers because he met a woman at the Squire and offered her a ride home to Danvers. He insisted that he was on his way home to Everett when he was stopped — though the trooper noted that Everett is south of Danvers and Sarnie was driving north.
Judge Michael Lauranzano set bail at $250 for Sarnie, who, still in handcuffs, immediately reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a wad of cash.
He was $11 shy of the bail amount. After someone loaned him $11, he posted his own bail and was released, with an order that he not drive.
He's due back in court on Feb. 17.
Courts reporter Julie Manganis may be reached at 978-338-2521 or jmanganis@salemnews.com.
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