By Jim Clark

A police traffic unit took notice of a vehicle traveling along Washington St. last week  that had a number of violations apparent to the officer.

The car reportedly had an expired inspection sticker displayed upon the windshield, a broken passenger side mirror dangling by the door, and a rear plate that had no validating registration sticker.

The officer activated his blue lights and siren and brought the vehicle to a halt at Washington and Tufts Streets.

The officer noted that the driver and a passenger were moving inside the car and looking back at him as he approached the vehicle. The officer further noted that neither occupant of the car was wearing seatbelts.

The driver of the vehicle, Darius Moshfegh, 26, of Newton, appeared to be very nervous as he was asked for his license and registration, according to reports, and continued to look back towards the officer as he searched for his license.

The officer reportedly spotted a hypodermic needle on the passenger floor.

When asked if he knew why he had been stopped, Moshfegh reportedly replied, “Here. Here is my license.”

After locating the vehicle registration, Moshfegh was once again asked if he knew why he had been stopped, and he answered, “Uh, you stopped me,” according to police.

The officer questioned the passenger, who said that she was not carrying identification. While initially furnishing a false name to the officer, according to reports, she eventually gave her true name, Kristin Barnett, 23, of Quincy. A query turned up five outstanding warrants for Barnett’s arrest, and she was placed into custody.

The officer reportedly observed several needle marks on Moshfegh’s visible skin areas. The officer advised Moshfegh that a canine unit was on its way to the scene and that if there were any drugs in the car he should consider turning them over, police said.

Moshfegh then reportedly pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and handed it to the officer and said, “I have some brown in my back pocket too.”

The officer believed that the bag Moshfegh gave him contained methamphetamine and that the “brown” mentioned would be heroin. It was later determined that there was approximately 52 grams of methamphetamine in the bag.

When the canine unit arrived Moshfegh was removed from the car while the search was conducted.

Moshfegh reportedly had several orange pills and a small quantity of marijuana on his person, as well as two small plastic bags containing the “brown” that was mentioned earlier, according to reports.

Moshfegh was placed under arrest and charged with no inspection sticker, drug possession to distribute, missing registration sticker, miscellaneous equipment violation, trafficking in methamphetamine, and possession of a class A drug.

Barnett was also placed under arrest on warrant charges of false crime report, assault and battery, attempt to commit a crime, conspiracy, utter false check, possession of a class A drug, and witness intimidation.