A native of the Dominican Republic who was caught with 9 pounds of heroin in 2016 but escaped back to his homeland only to be extradited was sentenced this week for his crimes.

Habys Omar Meran, 38, was sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison for possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

Meran was pulled over by a state trooper who specializes in drug interdiction during a traffic stop along Interstate 80 in Mercer County in January 2016. The trooper found the heroin — valued more than $2 million — in “a sophisticated, hydraulically activated hidden compartment” of Meran’s van, according to a new release from U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan in Pittsburgh.

Meran, who was living in New York City with his passenger, Juan Wilquin Hernandez-Bourdier, were both charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hernandez-Bourdier was convicted of all charges in December 2018, Olshan said. He is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison.

Meran managed to remove his ankle monitor and flee the country in November 2017 prior to his trial, Olshan said. Following an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, Meran was arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2023 and extradited to the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security, state police and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation, Olshan said.

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