By STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer - smillberg@starbeacon.com
ASHTABULA — Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Department detectives arrested a 46-year-old Ashtabula man Thursday night at the Downtown Motel on various drug charges.
Roberto Rivera was arraigned Friday in Ashtabula Municipal Court on charges of trafficking drugs, a third degree felony; possession of drugs, a third degree felony; and possession of illegal instruments, a second degree felony, according to court records.
Working on a tip that drugs were being sold out of one of the rooms at the motel on Center Street, detectives arrived at the scene just before 5 p.m. Thursday. According to reports, detectives could smell a distinct odor consistent of marijuana coming from room 2.
After several minutes of knocking on the door with no response, detectives observed a curtain move inside the room and ordered the door be opened. A female, who was later identified as Amanda Brown, 27, of 5837 Jefferson Ave., opened the door and said her friend “Robert” was also in the room, according to reports.
Rivera consented to a search of the room which led detectives to 50 heroin unit doses, a spoon with residue and hypodermic needles. The heroin was packaged for sale, according to reports. It was also determined Rivera tried to flush the drugs down the toilet as the package was wet when detectives found it.
Additional drugs and $1,100 cash was also found on Rivera during the booking process. Rivera was arrested and taken to Ashtabula City Jail where he is being held. Bond was set at $50,000 cash or 10 percent surety. A preliminary hearing has been set for July 28 at 2 p.m.
Brown, who is out on bond from Ashtabula Municipal Court on heroin abuse charges, was released at the scene, according to reports.
