A Lehigh County man has been charged with possession of heroin.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Detective Michael Mish of the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office:

Mish served a search warrant at a home on Jefferson Court, New Tripoli, where Alberto Rivera-Rosario, 25, and Rachel Betz lived.

Police found a Heritage Arms 9 mm handgun, numerous sandwich bags containing tan powder, over 1,500 glassine packets containing tan powder, over $20,000, two digital scales, an electric grinder coated with tan residue, and numerous additional glassine packets and clear plastic bags.

A field test of a sample of the powder yielded a positive result for heroin.

The powder in the clear plastic bags weighed about 200 grams.

The serial number of the handgun was destroyed and could not be read.

Rivera-Rosario had previously been arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police on numerous drug related charges.

On July 10, 2013, Rivera-Rosario pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to delivery of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance, both felony charges that prohibit Rivera-Rosario from possessing a firearm.

Rivera-Rosario faces charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia; persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms; and possession of firearm with altered manufacturer’s number.

He is currently incarcerated in the Lehigh County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Friday in Central Court at the Lehigh County Courthouse.