Mario Berdiel, 57,pulled over by Lorain police after he was seen leaving a suspected drug house that narcotics officers had under surveillance.

Mario Berdiel, 57, was given intervention in lieu of conviction Monday after pleading guilty to possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia for his April arrest. If he completes one year of probation, the charges will be dropped, said his attorney, Mike Duff. Berdiel was pulled over by Lorain police after he was seen leaving a suspected drug house that narcotics officers had under surveillance. He was stopped after police saw him run a stop sign. Inside Berdeil’s vehicle, officers found a small bundle of heroin. Berdiel, who was hired by the city in January, was still in his probationary period and was immediately fired after his arrest. Duff said Berdiel is cleaning up his life. “He had an addiction problem,” he said. “He’s beaten it, and he’s going to stay clean and sober.”

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