SAUGUS — A Somerville man was arrested by Saugus Police on multiple charges, including heroin trafficking, on Thursday.
Frank Laporta, 33, was arrested and charged with trafficking more than 150 grams of heroin, possession of a Class C substance, resisting arrest, and malicious destruction of property over $250, according to Saugus Police Chief Domenic DiMella.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, Saugus Police were dispatched to the Avalon Motel for a report of a man destroying a room. When they arrived, they found Laporta pacing outside of a motel room that had been torn apart, with the bed, a table, and a chair all flipped over, said DeMella.
As police began an on-scene investigation, they asked Laporta to sit down. Large bulges were then seen coming from the pockets of his shorts, according to police. Police searched Laporta and removed a knife and a needle from his pockets. A large plastic bag that contain several bags of a brown powdery substance were removed from his waistband.
The 155 grams of suspected heroin in Laporta’s possession has an estimated street value of $9,000, according to DiMella.
“I want to congratulate the Patrol Division and the officers involved in this case for their dedication and professionalism in apprehending his suspect,” said DiMella. “They safely de-escalated a potentially dangerous situation and seized a significant amount of deadly drugs.”
Laporta was given a medical evaluation at an area hospital, booked, and held on $100,000 bail pending his arraignment in Lynn District Court.
