By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to the Stop and Shop store on McGrath Hwy. in response to a report of a shoplifter who was unable to furnish identification for the store’s loss prevention personnel.

Upon arrival, officers learned that the suspect, later identified as James Mento, 35, of Lynn, had allegedly only attempted to steal a cigarette lighter valued at $2.49. The officers reportedly noted that Mento appeared to be intoxicated.

According to reports, Mento was asked by the officers if he had anything of interest on his person, and he told them that everything he had been removed from his pockets and was on the counter.

Among the items on the counter were four hypodermic needles. Police said that Mento told them that he had recently injected himself with Suboxone with one of the needles. The officers reportedly noted that some residue was visible on the tip of one of the needles.

The officers then conducted a frisk search of Mento and asked him to remove his shoes for inspection. Police said that at that point Mento became nervous and agitated and had trouble speaking. When he eventually removed his shoes he made an unconvincing attempt to show that his shoes didn’t contain anything of interest, but the officers reportedly spotted something which, upon closer examination, turned out to be what appeared to be a Suboxone tablet wrapped in a napkin, police said.

Mento reportedly admitted to the officers that the tablet was Suboxone and that he did not have a prescription for it.
He was placed under arrest and charged with shoplifting by concealing merchandise and possession of a class C drug.