Man charged with drugs after crash

A New Ringgold man has been charged by Tamaqua police after a crash on Christmas Day.

Officers were called to the 500 block of Washington Street at 5:29 p.m. for a multivehicle crash. They found Nevin Holben, 23, of Ridge Cup Road, and three damaged vehicles.

Holben said he was headed south on Washington Street when he fell asleep at the wheel. He was awakened when his 2001 Chrysler Town and Country struck a parked vehicle. The force of the crash sent the parked car into another parked car.

A records check found that Holben’s driver’s license was suspended and there was a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear in Carbon County court on a drug-related charge.

He was turned over to an official from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, and his vehicle, which was not drivable, was towed from the scene.

On Dec. 28, police were called to a home on Washington Street to view the homeowner’s video surveillance system, which recorded Holben placing several items behind a brick pillar on a porch on Washington Street while he was waiting for police to arrive at the crash scene.

Officers recovered those items, which included a syringe, a container with a cotton ball, and a total of 330 wax packets, with various markings, containing suspected heroin and fentanyl.

Tamaqua police have cited him for driving with a suspended license, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence.