Report: Moms Barred From Children Following Drug Arrests

Two women arrested Wednesday in East Patchogue on drug possession and child endangerment charges have been barred from contacting their children, according to officials' statements to Newsday.

Police previously reported that Tara Riley, 26 of Medford, and Amanda Kosby, 27 of North Bellport, were reportedly found in possesion of a hypodermic needle and heroin while sitting in a Ford Explorer with Riley's four-year-old daughter and Kosby's five-year-old son in the back seat.

According to Bob Clifford, spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney's office who spoke to Newsday, Kosby told officers that she had "shot up earlier" with the intention of doing one bag in the car. Clifford said that she claimed to never want to hurt her son and needed rehab.

Both women were arraigned Thursday on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and criminally possessing a hypodermic instrument.

Newsday says the bail was set at $1,500 cash or a $3,000 bond for Riley and $1,000 cash or $2,000 bond for Kosby.

Newsday states that orders of protection have been issued against both women, barring them from contacting their children. Both kids were previously reported by police as released to the custody of family members, with notifications sent to Child Protective Services.

Newsday also reported Kosby as having two other recent drug arrests on Nov. 8 and Jan. 31, and that she plead guilty to one single drug possession charge on Feb. 1. Kosby started a 60-day sentence at Suffolk County jail in Riverhead according to a jail official's statement to Newsday, and had gained early release on March 11 for good behavior.

Riley's previous arrests according to the report were a drug possession charge on Dec. 20, and a petty larceny charge on Jan. 31. For both cases, Riley was reportedly released on her own recognizance and the cases were pending as of Thursday according to court records looked up by Newsday.

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