A Massachusetts man with a lengthy criminal record has been arrested once again, this time on allegations of trafficking fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Webster police, located about an hour southwest of Boston, stopped Ryan Hassett shortly before 2 a.m. on Jan. 6 for an inspection sticker violation. Officers determined Hassett was driving with a suspended license and placed him under arrest while conducting a search of the vehicle. During the search, police reportedly found a rubber container containing crack cocaine, fentanyl, and other unspecified drug paraphernalia.
Dashboard camera footage from the police cruiser allegedly shows the 34-year-old Hassett removing “three clear baggies with a white substance inside” and passing them through a small metal grate in the prisoner compartment. Officers later recovered the baggies, which were found to contain fentanyl and crack cocaine. A police social media post stated that the fentanyl weighed approximately 21 grams.
Hassett was charged with trafficking at least 10 grams of fentanyl, possession of a Class A drug (heroin), possession of a Class B drug (crack cocaine), and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
As of publication, Hassett’s complete criminal history had not been released. Information regarding his booking, bail, and next court appearance was also unavailable as of Thursday afternoon.
Hassett’s extensive arrest record quickly drew attention on social media. A post from Libs of TikTok on X had generated more than 200 reposts and over 100 responses at the time of publication.
“I wish somebody would develop a list of judges by the number of criminals they have let loose who have gone on to be repeat offenders,” one user wrote. “These clowns think they’re doing great service while inflicting pain on America.”
“You know better than this!” another commenter said. “You need to give people 2nd, 3rd, 97th chances, etc.”
The arrest comes as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking. On Jan. 6, the U.S. Senate confirmed Sara Carter as director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly known as the “drug czar,” making her the first woman to hold the role.
In a press release, Carter described her confirmation and the administration’s anti-drug initiatives as a “turning point” for the country.
“We will hold accountable the narco-terrorists who infringe upon this right, participating in the deliberate poisoning of tens of thousands of Americans each year,” Carter said. “They will no longer kill our families, friends, neighbors, and even children with impunity.”
Carter previously worked as an investigative journalist for outlets including the Washington Examiner and the Washington Times and is a former Fox News contributor.
“I have seen these predatory criminal empires operate with impunity in our hemisphere,” Carter told senators in September. “That impunity ends now. This is not just a public health crisis — it’s a chemical war being waged against the American people.”
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