Schuylkill County Man Facing Numerous Charges Following Recent Incidents

A Schuylkill County man may only be looking at half the trouble he’s facing had he used his blinker earlier this month.

Police in Saint Clair say that at about 10 p.m. on Oct. 3, they were on routine patrol on S. Second St. in the borough and came up behind a black Nissan 370Z.

The driver – later identified as Shawn Jessman, 33 – allegedly glanced at his rear-view mirror and suddenly made a right turn without using his blinker.

Police say they initiated a traffic stop and made contact with Jessman. From inside his car, police say they detected a strong odor of marijuana.

When asked if he had a valid card allowing him to possess medical marijuana, Jessman reportedly said he did but it wasn’t on him at the time.

During the traffic stop, police noticed that Jessman’s turn signal light was obstructed and made it appear dysfunctional. But that was the least of his concerns, according to court records.

Jessman and a female passenger were asked to exit the vehicle. As the passenger got out of the car, police say they spotted a capped syringe on the passenger side floor. The passenger reportedly told police that she had needles on her at the time.

Where Jessman had been sitting in the vehicle, police say they spotted a small, Ziploc-style baggie with black spade markings on it. Inside appeared to be a white, crystal-like substance. Police say they also spotted a roll of Ziploc-style baggies, a needle cap, and a torch lighter.

When police got the baggie from the car, they report seeing another similar bag that also contained a white, crystal-like substance.

Police say they then asked Jessman if there was any other incriminating items inside his vehicle. He reportedly said there may be marijuana inside. At that time, police got verbal consent to search the vehicle.

Jessman said that there are firearms inside the vehicle, too. He reportedly led police to the driver’s door, where a Cresco-branded container was located. Inside that, police say there was a quantity of marijuana.

Also found in the door panel was an empty pack of Crowns 100s cigarettes. That empty pack of smokes allegedly contained 35 buprenorphine and Naloxone films, each marked 8mg. When asked if he had a prescription for those items, Jessman reportedly said he did not.

A deeper dive into the vehicle also revealed a marijuana bowl. Police say they also found a bag containing three Pennsylvania emissions inspection stickers and four inspection stickers dated for January.

Jessman then reportedly pointed out a black backpack inside the vehicle. Police say that three firearms were located inside: a Glock 19, Smith & Wesson Model 639, and a Smith & Wesson Shield chambered in 9mm, according to court documents.

The Smith & Wesson Shield, police learned, was reported stolen by police in Mount Carmel.

Further investigation revealed that Jessman said he purchased the stolen firearm from a person he only knew as “Brad” for $350 behind the Subway in Ashland.

That black backpack also allegedly contained a prescription pill bottle wrapped in electrical tape. Inside that bottle was a small Ziploc-style baggie that contained a white, crystal-like residue that police suspect is methamphetamine.

This traffic stop occurred just hours after Jessman was in police custody in relation to a reported theft from a storage locker in West Mahanoy Township.

At about noon on Oct. 2, police in West Mahanoy Township say they received a dispatch regarding a theft from the STP Storage Facility.

Police say they met with the victim of the reported theft who said that when she arrived at her locker that day, she noticed that its lock had been cut off. She said several tools were missing, including a table saw, a handheld grinder, a tile saw, a power drill, and other loose items.

Security footage from a nearby business was able to identify a black Nissan as the vehicle used in the suspected theft. That video reportedly showed two people entering the storage unit and removing items before taking off in an unknown direction.

Police say they obtained a still image of the vehicle suspected in the theft and posted it on social media the following morning, Oct. 3, hoping to identify the owner. Less than two hours later, an anonymous caller indicated that it was likely Jessman’s vehicle.

Jessman was located in Ringtown soon afterward. When questioned about the theft, he reportedly said he accidentally broke into the storage unit because he thought it belonged to his family and that he was trying to retrieve a sweatshirt. Jessman said that after he’d taken a bag of hoodies that didn’t belong to him, he drove away and discarded the bag.

Police say they got consent to search Jessman’s vehicle at that time. Inside, police say they found a hand drill, a camo-colored backpack, a pair of red bolt cutters, a second hand drill and a broken padlock.

At that time, Jessman was taken into custody on suspicion of theft and taken back to the West Mahanoy Township Police headquarters for processing.

Jessman reportedly gave police a story about going to the storage unit to retrieve a sweatshirt. He denied taking any power tools from the storage unit and said the drills in his vehicle were his property.

Following the theft investigation, police say they transported Jessman back to the Ringtown location where he was located and released from custody.

Later that night is when he was stopped by Saint Clair Police. He was arraigned early Sunday morning, Oct. 4, before Magisterial District Judge AJ Serina and charged with receiving stolen property, a felony, and possession of display documents, three counts of possession of a controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana, all misdemeanors, and a summary offense for not using his blinker.

Serina set bail at $50,000 cash and Jessman was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison, where court records show he remains, pending a preliminary hearing.

With regard to the storage locker incident, police have charged Jessman with a felony count of criminal trespass, and misdemeanors for theft, receiving stolen property, and loitering, as well as summary offense of trespass by motor vehicle.

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