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Michael Roper is not a member of the St. Louis Rams.

(AP)

NORTHAMPTON — A Holyoke man who told police he was a football player with the St. Louis Rams during a routine traffic stop in July, now faces a charge of using a false name.

Michael C. Roper, 25, of 95 Beech St., Holyoke, was also arraigned in District Court on Wednesday for drug charges stemming from the July 8 incident.

Roper was a passenger in a car stopped by police for having a rejected inspection sticker. Police questioning led to the discovery of a crack cocaine pipe and a pill bottle containing the prescription drug Clonazepan, according to court documents. Police said Roper told them the drugs belonged to the driver.

Roper also allegedly told police his name was Robert Steeples and that he lived in St. Louis. He was booked under that name. Police later learned, however, that Steeples is an undrafted rookie trying out for the Rams.

In a letter to police, Stephen Miller, the director of security for the Rams, said head coach Jeff Fisher came into his office on July 26 with an envelope containing a police blotter story that Steeples had been arrested. Miller called Northampton police but was unable to obtain a mug shot. He did learn that the man arraigned had a tattoo on his right arm.

Miller then met with Steeples and determined that he had no such tattoo. Steeples suggested to the Rams the defendant in question was his adopted cousin, Roper.

A warrant was issued for Roper, who was arraigned on three counts of possession of cocaine, possession of a Class E substance, giving a false name to police and intimidating a witness, a charge that is sometimes used for misleading police. Roper denied all charges. Judge W. Michael Goggins set bail at $2,000 and continued Roper’s case to Sept. 5.