Hingham traffic stop leads to drug arrest, over two pounds of marijuana seized

Hingham police show a photo of the seized evidence (Photo courtesy of Hingham Police)

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

A 21-year-old Weymouth man was arrested on drug charges in Hingham on Saturday after officers reported finding over two pounds of marijuana during a routine traffic stop.

According to police, officers responded to a call of an erratic driver on Saturday at 8:15 p.m. on 228 near the Hingham Middle School. The caller had been following the person, and reported that the suspect was driving all over the road.

Officers saw the car around Queen Anne’s Corner as it took a right onto Route 53. When officers observed the car veer past the white fog line and drive between the two lanes of traffic, they pulled the car over.

Police approached the car and asked for a license and registration. The suspect struggled looking for the paperwork, and seemed nervous, police said. He was unable to answer simple questions, and wouldn’t make eye contact with the officer.

The officer noticed that there was a strong smell of raw marijuana coming from the car, and noticed bits of green substance on the man’s shorts and on the passenger seat, police said.

Officers told the man to stop looking for the paperwork and asked him to get of the car. A subsequent search uncovered an unsmoked joint and a sum of money folded with an elastic band on the driver door compartment, police said. The center console allegedly contained a small bag of marijuana.

As a result, police requested a canine backup. Upon arrival, the canine gave a positive indication to the trunk area for drugs. Police said they opened up the truck to discover a black backpack containing a pound of marijuana in a vacuumed sealed container and 15 additional bags of marijuana in an opened vacuumed sealed container.

Police conducted a field sobriety test and determined that the man was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. Based on the search, however, he was arrested.

Daniel N. Roberts, 21, from Weymouth was charged with possession of a Class D substance with intent to distribute, criminal possession of marijuana, and marked lanes violation.

Two cell phones, a grinder, and a pipe were also found in the car, police said. The cell phones continued to ring throughout the investigation.

According to police, a total of 2.24 pounds of marijuana was seized along with the $1,389 in cash.

“He had already opened up the one [vaccume sealed bag] and was making sales, so the money was seizes for his forfeiture of drug sales,” Hingham Police Sergeant Steven Dearth said.

At the station, police said, they discovered Roberts had been selling hydroponic marijuana, which has a higher THC content and is generally more valuable. According to police, hydroponic marijuana can be sold for $3,000 - $4,000 a pound.

Roberts was arraigned and released on bail Saturday night. He received a bail warning from a Hingham District Court judge, which allows police to lock up Roberts for 60 days without bail should he receive any other criminal charges. He was released on personal recognizance to return to court on Feb. 6.

“Something like this is usually from an investigation. Typically if you have these two bags, each with a pound, you wouldn’t drive around with all of that, making sales,” Dearth said. “But it’s a significant arrest, and it all started with someone making a cell phone call.

"Having the canine on the sop was helpful, too,'' Dearth said. "The officer was also very alert when making observations.”

Police believe Roberts had allegedly been driving erratically because he was either using a cell phone, or was rolling the marijuana joint.