Hector Roman was arrested and charged with alleged heroin trafficking during a Haverhill traffic stop by State Police. (Courtesy photograph)
A Lawrence man pulled over by State Police in Haverhill Saturday has been arrested and charged with alleged heroin trafficking. Trooper Christopher Ryan was patrolling in the area near Westgate Plaza Nov. 17 when a Ford pickup failed to yield when pulling out of a parking lot in front of the trooper on Lowell Avenue. Ryan pulled over the truck after it pulled onto the Route 495 North access ramp.
The driver was cited for motor vehicle violations, while the passenger, 35-year-old Hector Roman of Lawrence, offered a false name—Fernando Morales—according to police. He also said he was unsure of his birth year.
As Ryan ran a background check, he found that information provided by the passenger closely matched another person with a criminal past: Roman. During a search of the vehicle, Trooper Ryan discovered a “baseball-size bag of heroin.”
Roman confirmed his true identity after being placed under arrest for the alleged heroin trafficking. State Police said he also had two outstanding warrants out of Lawrence, one out of Woburn and one out of Cumberland County, Maine.