Man Without A Nose Arrested On Weapons, Drug Charges In Florida: Booking Photo Goes Viral

A routine traffic stop in Fort Lauderdale earlier this month culminated in a major narcotics bust and a viral social media storm, following the arrest of a New York man whose striking booking photo has captivated the Internet.

Charles Wilson Pastore, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, was arrested on September 3 and charged with possessing a significant cache of weapons and illicit drugs but public attention shifted toward Pastore’s distinctive physical appearance after his mugshot was publicly released–a mugshot that reveals he completely lacks a nose.

According to Fort Lauderdale police reports, officers initiated a traffic stop on a white Mercedes-Benz in which Pastore was riding in as a passenger. The encounter quickly escalated when a K-9 unit alerted handlers to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle.

A subsequent search by officers uncovered a sweeping assortment of contraband distributed between the vehicle’s spare-tire compartment and allegedly Pastore’s own pockets. Authorities seized approximately 17.93 grams of methamphetamine, 3.54 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale coated in drug residue, and a loaded .380-caliber handgun featuring a obliterated serial number.

In addition to the contraband, police confiscated more than $7,100 in cash, reportedly divided nearly equally between Pastore’s person and a backpack inside the car.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office booked Pastore on a litany of felony charges, including:

• Armed trafficking of methamphetamine (between 14 and 28 grams)
• Possession of cocaine
• Altering or removing a firearm serial number
• Possession of a forged driver’s license, after he allegedly provided officers with a fraudulent Florida identification card

He was released from custody after posting $37,000 bail on Sept. 8, records show. 

According to law enforcement sources, Pastore could potentially face federal charges.

Following his booking, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office booking photo spread rapidly across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, generating millions of views and thousands of comments.

Commenters online have heavily speculated on the condition, frequently drawing comparisons to fictional pop-culture characters or attributing the disfigurement to heavy drug use.

Broward county law enforcement officials did not publicly speculate on Pastore’s facial features.