Man sentenced from Troy drug raid
Jack Wayne Hamilton III sentencing, June 10, 2019. (Paul Sievers/The Western News)
A Lincoln County man was given a three-year suspended sentence in Montana 19th Judicial District Court, June 10, for drug possession.
Judge Matt Cuffe sentenced Jack Wayne Hamilton III to the three-year suspended sentence for the charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, a felony, and ordered Hamilton to pay $500 in restitution.
Hamilton initially pleaded not guilty to both charges at his arraignment February 25. His original charges included an additional count, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, but the court dismissed it after Hamilton pleaded guilty to drug possession.
In accordance with Hamilton’s plea agreement, the court recommended a three-year suspended sentence.
Hamilton’s arrest came as part of a cooperative effort between the Troy Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to stop drug trafficking in Lincoln County. Deputies and officers worked together to execute a search warrant for dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.
According to the case affidavit, on Feb. 8 at 9:07 p.m., law enforcement searched a residence at 120 Yaak Avenue in Troy, finding over 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a digital scale, a pipe and baggies.
Just before officers entered the house, someone yelled “go!,” according to the report. Officers found Hamilton in the house’s rear bathroom, hiding, with a contact lens case in his pocket containing a methamphetamine-like substance.
When Detective Brandom Holzer, with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, entered the house, he saw two people sitting on a couch getting up to run, Hamilton and Paul Kelso, according to the report. Hamilton was found hiding with Paul Kelso in a rear bathroom.
In total, law enforcement officials arrested five people at the house.
Deputy Brad Dodson, with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, applied for the search warrant where Michelle Lowe and Jeremiah Gardner lived, at 120 Yaak Avenue. The warrants for the residence authorized a search for drugs, paraphernalia, guns “and other evidence for the crimes of possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.”
All five suspects arrested in the Feb. 8 raid were arraigned Monday, Feb. 25 in Montana 19th Judicial District Court on felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Additional reporting by Benjamin Kibbey