Flat Tire Leads to 10 Drug Charges in Chapel Hill

UPDATE: The charges against Jacob Hartley Zurbuch were expunged from his record in 2020.

A flat tire has led to the arrests of two individuals on drug charges in Chapel Hill.

Police Captain Josh Mecimore said an officer saw a 2008 Honda Accord traveling on East Franklin Street around four o’clock Wednesday morning with a flat tire. When the officer maneuvered behind the vehicle, the driver put the hazard lights on and pulled over.

Mecimore said the officer got out of his vehicle along with the driver. The officer wrote in his report “it was apparent the driver was under the influence of an impairing substance.”

Mecimore said the driver, 19-year-old Dominick Michael Oliverio, was then put through a field sobriety test and was taken into custody for driving while impaired.

A subsequent search of the vehicle led officers to more discoveries.

“A search of the driver’s area of the vehicle,” Mecimore said, “revealed some clear, plastic bottles of pills.”

Mecimore said nearly 100 pills were recovered from the vehicle, including 96 five and 10 gram Ritalin pills and three Xanax. Mecimore added nearly 2.5 grams of marijuana were also recovered from the vehicle.

“[The marijuana] was found with baggies and scales in the container,” Mecimore said. “That would account for charging a person with possession with intent to sell and deliver.

“You can show that there’s intent to sell and deliver that.”

Oliverio was charged with felony counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and maintaining a vehicle. He is also facing three misdemeanor charges in addition to the DWI charge.

The vehicle’s passenger, 19-year-old Jacob Hartley Zurbuch, was also cited for felony possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and three misdemeanor narcotics charges.

Both suspects are set to make their first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.