Two people are facing multiple drug charges due to incidents at the Hoboken Housing Authority that spurned complaints from residents and administrators.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The arrests follow a weeks-long investigation by the Street Crimes Unit (SCU) that was prompted by the aforementioned complaints of trespassing and drug activity.
On May 11th, at approximately 12:20 p.m. SCU detectives observed a man, later identified as Luis Tamat, 19, of West New York, making a purchase of a suspected controlled dangerous substance near 318 Harrison St.
He was approached by officers and found to have a plastic bag containing a white rock like substance in his mouth.
A search incident to arrest also found drug paraphernalia, in the form of a glass cylinder pipe burnt at one end – commonly used to smoke crack cocaine – in his pocket.
He was arrested and charged with possession of CDS crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and defiant trespassing. He was processed at Hoboken Police Headquarters and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
During the follow up investigation, on May 15th, detectives observed a man known to them as Armando Roman, 43, of Hoboken sitting directly in front of a playground near 310- 320 Marshall Dr.
Roman, who was wanted for the illegal sale of narcotics on May 11th, was arrested without incident and found to be in possession of two bags containing a large amount of cash and unregulated cannabis products in the form of edibles and flowers, as well as an access card to the Hoboken Housing Authority which did not belong to him.
Roman was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters for processing and charged with possession with the intent to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute near a school zone, and possession with intent to distribute near public housing.
He was also charged with the sale of CDS (crack cocaine), sale of CDS within 1,000 feet of a school zone, and sale of CDS within 500 feet of a public housing in connection with the May 11 incident.
The Hoboken Police Department thanks the members of the public who came forward with their concerns.
Anyone with information concerning drug activity is urged to call the Hoboken Police Department at (201) 420-2100, the anonymous tip line at (201) 420-2111, or file an anonymous report online at www.hobokenpdnj.gov/anonymous-tips.
I for one am shocked that there are drug sales happening in the HHA