Eureka man takes plea for dangerous drugs

A 57-year-old Eureka man pleaded guilty to one charge of felony possession of dangerous drugs on Monday in District Court as part of a plea deal.

Kenneth Lee West said he possessed methamphetamine on July 29.

Five drug-related counts were dismissed as part of the plea including two felonies and three misdemeanors.

The plea deal calls for him to received a four-year deferred sentence with up to five years in prison if he violates probation.

District Court Judge James Wheelis set sentencing for Dec. 19. Wheelis noted that he may or may not agree with the sentence called for in the plea agreement.

According to a report from Eureka Police Officer Clint Heintz, West was stopped while driving on U.S. 93 between Fortine and Eureka. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after staggering upon exiting his vehicle. Heintz noted in his report that West has one lifetime DUI conviction.

Heintz said he had received information that West had been selling illegal drugs from his Eureka residence, and that known drug users have been seen by law enforcement at West’s residence in the 100 block of 6th Avenue East.

After obtaining a search warrant, police found an orange pill bottle with West’s name on it. The bottle contained round pills not matching the description of rectangular pills on the bottle’s label. The date of the last refill was February 2014. Heintz identified 12 Methadone pills using drugs.com.

West said he doesn’t have a doctor, and Heintz concluded that he was using an expired prescription drug bottle as a cover to carry newly-purchased methadone.

A brown eye glass case that a K-9 dog alerted on in West’s vehicle was sent to the crime lab for testing. It came back with residue of cocaine, Heintz said.

A search warrant was obtained on Sept. 23 for West’s residence. Among the items found were a snuff tin and scale that tested positive for methamphetamine, empty oxycodone and methadone prescription bottles and a STEN MK II gun.

The weapon was confiscated and Heintz said he would check with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to see if it was legal for him to possess it. Heintz said the gun is an open bolt 9-mm rifle. It had 30-round magazines.

Caleb M. Soptelean can be reached at 293-4124 or by email at csoptelean@thewesternnews.com.