A man allegedly brought heroin and cocaine to a mandatory court appearance in Fort Lee Municipal Court.

The 32-year-old Bronx NY man allegedly had a hard time staying awake while he waited in the Fort Lee New Jersey courthouse. According to authorities, court staff noticed the suspect when he started to fall asleep during court proceedings.

A Port Authority police officer reportedly observed the suspect with bloodshot eyes and white powder on his nostrils. The officer also reportedly saw the suspect struggling to sit up straight in his seat.

After watching the suspect for a while, police officers finally took action and arrested him for contempt.

During the course of the arrest, police reportedly discovered a $20 bill and a straw in the suspect’s pants pocket. The straw allegedly contained a white substance believed to be cocaine residue. As a result, the suspect was charged with the drug crime of cocaine possession.

The suspect was also charged with heroin possession after police officers allegedly found him with four glassine bags of heroin. According to officials, the bags were contained in a cigarette box.

Police said that the suspect later admitted to having used cocaine prior to arriving at the Fort Lee courthouse.

If the suspect is eventually convicted on the drug charges, he could be subject to severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, anyone found to be in possession of even a trace of cocaine can be charged with a third degree criminal offense. A conviction for third degree cocaine possession could result in a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

For further information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Man Facing Drug Charge Brings Heroin to Court, Falls Asleep, Police Say.”