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Officer Timothy Letavish stopped a 2003 Infiniti driven by 23-year-old Lebo L. Xhelo for “driving in a careless manner” on Ramapo Valley Road around 3 a.m. Thursday, Police Chief James Batelli said.
Suspecting that Xhelo was high, Letavish, a trained drug recognition expert, ordered him out of the vehicle, the chief said.
As Xhelo got out, the officer smelled burnt marijuana on him and in the car, Batelli said.
Letavish also spotted drug paraphernalia on the passenger-side floor, he said.
A search turned up the pot, the edibles, 40 vape cartridges, the cash and the hash oil, known as DAB.
DAB, as Batelli explained, is a sticky, concentrated form of cannabis made by extracting THC and other cannabinoids using a solvent such as butane or carbon dioxide.
The contraband was confiscated, the cash was seized for forfeiture and Xhelo was taken into custody, the chief said.
Assisting were Lt. Harry Hunt, Officer Christopher Fasulo and Detective Eric Larsen, Batelli said.
Police charged Xhelo with various drug counts. He also received summonses for careless driving, having drugs in a vehicle and failing to produce the necessary driving documents.
Xhelo, a former North Arlington High School soccer player who briefly attended Mahwah High School, was sent to the Bergen County Jail, where he remained held Friday.
Meanwhile, an investigation was continuing.
Batelli asked that anyone with information that could help detectives determine who bought the drugs email: tips@mahwahpd.org. All calls are kept confidential, he said.
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