A local man has been accused of possessing 2.5 grams of heroin in Hy-Vee parking lot.

Justin Brown, 25, was charged on Jan. 13 with controlled-substance violation.

According to an Iowa City police complaint, on Dec. 27, the Iowa City police officers responded to a report of a narcotics complaint at a Hy-Vee, 812 S. First Ave. The witness reported Brown was in a bathroom stall and observed him placing a scale and several small bags containing a white substance on the floor, the complaint said.

The Iowa City police officers stopped Brown in the parking lot of the Hy-Vee and placed him under arrest for littering.

During a search, officials allegedly located syringes, spoons with burn marks and residue, a scale, and five individual packages of heroin. The total weight of heroin is 2.5 grams, the complaint said.

— by Alison Keim