2 Men Arrested After Hoboken Public Housing Residents Complain Of Drug Use In Neighborhood

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken Police Department arrested two men on multiple drug charges after receiving complaints about narcotic use in the city's public housing neighborhood, police said Tuesday.

They said the arrests followed a weeks-long investigation by the Street Crimes Unit (SCU) that was prompted by complaints of trespassing and drug activity made by residents and administrators in the Hoboken Housing Authority area.

A police spokesperson released the following details:

Hoboken Police Statement:

On May 11, 2023, at approximately 12:20 p.m. SCU detectives observed a man, later identified as 19-year-old Luis Tamat of West New York, making a purchase of a suspected controlled dangerous substance near 318 Harrison St. He was approached by officers and found to have a plastic bag containing a white rock like substance in his mouth. A search incident to arrest also found drug paraphernalia, in the form of a glass cylinder pipe burnt at one end, commonly used to smoke crack cocaine, in his pocket.

He was arrested and charged with possession of CDS crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and defiant trespassing. He was processed at Hoboken Police Headquarters and transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

During the follow up investigation, on May 15, 2023, detectives observed a man known to them as 43-year-old Armando Roman of Hoboken sitting directly in front of a playground near 310-
320 Marshall Dr. Roman, who was wanted for the illegal sale of narcotics on May 11, 2023, was
arrested without incident and found to be in possession of two bags containing a large amount of
cash and unregulated cannabis products in the form of edibles and flowers, as well as an access
card to the Hoboken Housing Authority which did not belong to him.

Roman was transported to Hoboken Police Headquarters for processing and charged with possession with the intent to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute near a school zone, and possession with intent to distribute near public housing. He was also charged with the sale of CDS crack cocaine, sale of CDS crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school zone, and sale of CDS crack cocaine within 500 feet of a Public Housing in connection with the May 11 incident.

The Hoboken Police Department would like to thank the members of the public who came
forward with their concerns. Anyone with information concerning drug activity is urged to call the Hoboken Police Department at (201) 420-2100, the anonymous tip line at (201) 420-2111, or file an anonymous report online at: www.hobokenpdnj.gov/anonymous-tips.