Mark Prebianca, 66, of Rolla was arrested April 19 in a traffic stop on Parker Lane on allegations of delivery of a controlled substance, a class C felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony.

He was taken into custody at the Phelps County Jail on a $25,000 cash or surety bond, with the following added conditions:

• Defendant shall not violate the law and shall appear as ordered in this case until this case is finally and completely resolved. 

•Defendant shall not possess a firearm or other deadly weapon.

• Defendant shall consent to a search of his person, residence, vehicle or possessions upon request of a law enforcement officer or the OCCS office supervising Defendant.

• Defendant shall be supervised by OCCS, Inc, and shall report to the OCCS office in Rolla no later than 9 a.m. on the first business day following his or her release on bond. Bond supervision shall be at Defendant’s expense.

• Defendant shall follow all directives of OCCS and the officer supervising his/her bond.

• Defendant is prohibited from using or possessing controlled substances without a prescription.

•Defendant is prohibited from possessing or consuming alcohol or alcoholic beverages.

• Defendant shall submit to chemical testing of his/her blood, breath or urine to determine usage of controlled substances or alcohol as directed or requested by OCCS or the Court.

Prebianca pleaded not guilty at his initial hearing on April 22 and was denied bond modification. A bond review hearing is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. on April 28 at the Phelps County Courthouse and no new information was published before the Saint James Press’ deadline.

According to a probable cause statement, Officer Timothy Gochanour with the St. James Police Department observed a vehicle traveling eastbound on Parker Lane with no registration and was emitting a “loud and obnoxious” noise due to a modified exhaust.

The vehicle stopped at the stop sign at the intersection of Parker Lane and Tiger Drive. As Gochanour attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Prebianca placed his vehicle into park in the middle of the roadway and walked toward Gochanour, who recognized him due to previous interactions.

“I asked Mark P. why he would park in the middle of the road and walk towards me, and he stated, ‘I knew you were Gochanour, and I knew that you were going to pull me over so I just wanted to get it over with,’” the report reads. “I explained to Mark P. that getting out of his vehicle in the middle of the roadway was very uncommon and not normal.”

Gochanour asked if there were illegal substances inside the vehicle, and Prebianca denied it. When Gochanour requested to search the vehicle, Prebianca said he could search the inside but not under the hood. The report notes Prebianca was “very agitated” by this request. The Cuba Police Department K9 unit responded upon Gochanour’s request and a K9 searched the car.

“I then observed the K9 officer almost fall due to the dog not wanting to move from the hood of the vehicle,” he wrote in his report. “The K9 officer then stated that it was a positive alert.”

A clear bag containing what later tested positive as methamphetamine was discovered inside the air filter box under the hood. The total weight was 2.6 grams.

Prebianca allegedly told officers he put the bag there because he thought they would not find it, and that he was bringing it to a girl he was going to see.

He has been charged previously with possession of a controlled substance seven times (most recently earlier this year, in 2023 and in 2016) and charged with delivery of a controlled substance once.