Defective Car Stop Leads to Drug Dealing, Other Charges

MANCHESTER, NH - A local man is due in court in March after being arrested in Manchester by Troop B state troopers out of Bedford after a traffic stop.

Gary Fitzgerald, 37, of Manchester, was arrested on Jan. 7, 2016, and charged with operating after suspension, transporting drugs in a motor vehicle as well as possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire State Police. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch police report.

According to a report, a state trooper stopped a 2014 Ford Focus at around 10:45 p.m. on Union Street in Manchester for having defective equipment.

The driver – Fitzgerald – was found to have suspended privileges for a previous driving while intoxicated conviction.

“During a search of Fitzgerald, a bag of heroin was located in his left coat pocket,” according to Staff Sgt. Bryan Trask of the NHSP. “During a search of the vehicle, approximately 19 smaller bags of heroin were located within the vehicle which packaged for resale.”

Fitzgerald was arrested and released on personal recognizance bail and is due in Manchester District Court on March 14.