ANGRY WIFE GIVES POLICE TOUR OF HUSBAND’S STASH

Elaine Donato was very upset. Her husband hit her, she claimed, and she was in the mood for revenge.

She called for help and when state troopers showed up to answer the domestic abuse call, she showed them her bruises, then gave them a tour of her husband’s drug manufacturing business.

Her vengeance proved effective because her spouse, Anthony Donato, 42, of Ridge Road, pleaded guilty to manufacturing marijuana and cocaine possession and faced 11 ½ to 23 years in prison.

Donato’s plea came a year after his wife Elaine called police to her home on June 3, 2000, and told them her husband had hit her an hour before.

Upset, she led two troopers to her husband’s marijuana growing and manufacturing operation, and showed the police her husband’s needles for injecting cocaine.

She showed police 81 plants and 15 quarts of pot leaves.

Elaine Donato also took police to chests of processed marijuana.

According to police Anthony Donato walked in while the troopers and his wife were touring all of his drug stashes “throughout the house”.

Anthony Donato said all of the drugs belonged to his wife. A search of the entire premises also turned up coke spoons, coke resin, scales, hypodermic needles, baggies of marijuana and $1,400.

Both Donatos were arrested and charged, but Assistant Public Defender Michael A. Ventrella argued before District Judge Jolana Krawitz that Elaine Donato really had nothing to do with the drug processing that was fully under the control of Anthony Donato. He stated further that no drugs or drug making materials were found in the common area that they both shared.

Krawitz dismissed the drug possession and manufacturing charges against her.

Anthony Donato will be sentenced later this month.