SPARTA TOWNSHIP, NJ (Sussex County) – Two men are facing drug charges following a traffic stop Monday afternoon in Sparta Township.
At 1:07 p.m., township officers were monitoring traffic travelling north on Route 15, when an officer allegedly observed a vehicle pass by with an expired inspection sticker, police said.
After stopping the vehicle and approaching the passenger side of the vehicle, the officer allegedly observed two suspected empty heroin wax packets lying on the floor behind the passenger seat, police said.
As the officer spoke to the passenger, Fabian Rodriguez, 43, of Budd Lake, NJ, the officer observed fresh bloody track marks on his arm, police said.
The driver, Jonathan Rivera, 32, of Sussex, NJ, was asked to step out of the vehicle and as he stepped out, a hypodermic needle fell out of his shoe, police said.
A search of the vehicle revealed a purse containing 55 wax packets of heroin stamped “Death Wish”, multiple empty wax packets and a hypodermic needle loaded with heroin for injection, police said.
Rodriguez allegedly took ownership of all the contraband found in the vehicle, except for the needle that fell out of Rivera’s shoe, police said.
Both admitted to using several bags of heroin while travelling in the vehicle, police said.
Rivera was charged with fail to inspect, maintenance of lamps, Controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle and possession of a hypodermic needle and released pending a mandatory court appearance.
Rodriguez was charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic needle. He also had active warrants out of Providence, NJ for $1,000 and Parsippany, NJ for $1,000. He was lodged on this criminal warrant in Keogh Dwyer Correctional Facility due to his prior criminal history.
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By: Jay Edwards Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook
