Agencies Conduct Major Drug Arrests
Area law enforcement accounted for their second major drug bust of the year when four individuals were arrested east of Poplar on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Charged with possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute and tampering with evidence were Kristie Boxer, 36, Poplar, Derrick Byrd, 38, Detroit, Mich., Vincent Thompson, 26, Detroit, Mich., and Michael Grey Bear, 24, Poplar. Boxer and Grey Bear were charged in tribal court while Byrd and Thompson had charges pending in Roosevelt County District Court.
“The drugs were intended to be distributed on the reservation and Roosevelt County,” Roosevelt County Chief Deputy Patrick O’Connor said.
The arrests involved a little more than a pound of suspected meth. Potential value of that amount of meth on the reservation is estimated to be close to $100,000.
“I would say anywhere from $70,000 to $100,000,” O’Connor estimated.
He stressed that the arrests were a group effort by many agencies including the Montana Highway Patrol, the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Roosevelt County Attorney’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation.
“The influx of drugs from outside of the state is increasing,” O’Connor said.
The two most popular drugs are meth and fentanyl. “And I will say cocaine use is increasing,” O’Connor added.
The Sept 20 arrest was the second large drug arrest conducted in the county during the year. On Feb. 10, Jauron Cox, 24, Detroit, Cody Corne, 31, and Calvin Corne, 39, Wolf Point, were arrested for charges including criminal possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to distribute.
Calvin and Cody Corne were each sentenced to 15 years with 10 years suspended in District Court. They were also fined $2,500 each for the felony.
When the arrests occurred on Feb. 10, law enforcement found close to a pound of suspected meth and 150 fentanyl pills.
At the time of sentencing, Judge Benjamin Fosland said the charges might had produced just probation sentences if it weren’t for the substances and the weight of the drugs involved.
Cox changed his plea to guilty during a hearing in July. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29.
