Harrison man accused of having backpack full of drugs in car after traffic stop

Arnold City police arrested a man on felony drug charges after officers searched his vehicle following a traffic stop and found a backpack filled with prescription narcotics, marijuana and other drugs.

Jason John Sciubba Jr., 22, of Vine Street in Harrison was charged with four felony counts of the manufacture, delivery or possession with the intent to deliver drugs in connection with the Nov. 23 incident.

He also faces 10 misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of resisting arrest and a count of obstruction.

Sciubba was arrested after a patrol officer pulled over the Audi sedan he was driving along Leishman Avenue at about 9:45 p.m. because the tail and brake lights were burned out, according to a criminal complaint.

Officer Ryan M. Clark said Sciubba was unable to produce a registration for the vehicle and told him he was driving to his mother’s house on Victoria Avenue even though he was traveling in the opposite direction, the complaint said.

Sciubba explained to the officer that he didn’t really know how to get to his mother’s house so he was looking for her car.

Clark said Sciubba tried to reach for something between his seat and the center console when he was asked to get out of the car and then locked the door.

After a passenger in the car unlocked the door, Clark and another officer forcefully pulled Sciubba out and onto the ground before placing him in handcuffs, the complaint said.

Police said they found a 1-ounce jar of cannabis wax in his pocket when he was taken into custody.

Police obtained a warrant to search the car after it was towed and found a backpack with two large jars of marijuana along with a number of cellophane bags with a total of 325 oxycodone tablets. They also found various other drugs including Xanax, ecstasy and fentanyl.

A box with 100 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, five boxes of 20-gauge shotgun shells, three iPhones and a large knife also were found in the vehicle.

Sciubba is scheduled to appear before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. on Dec. 16 for a preliminary hearing on the charges.