Bench warrant issued for Kusener

Lincoln County District Judge Matthew Cuffe issued a bench warrant for a woman accused of dealing drugs in the Troy area after she failed to show up for court Dec. 7.

Kimberly Kusener, 39, faces a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested following a Nov. 10 traffic stop.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies took an interest in Kusener after she had a run-in with law enforcement over the summer. According to court documents, authorities had learned that Kusener, who was on probation in Idaho, was barred from Montana.

In an affidavit, Detective Brandon Holzer wrote that his colleagues also suspected Kusener was dealing drugs in and around Troy based on conversations with street sources.

On Nov. 10, Holzer got a call from Troy Police Chief Katie Davis, who said she thought that either Kusener or her boyfriend was behind the wheel of a car following him out of Troy. Holzer pulled off to the side of state Highway 56 to let the car pass and then took up a discreet pursuit.

In the affidavit, he acknowledged that, owing to heavy tinting, he could not make out any occupants in the vehicle. But the tinting gave him a reason to perform a traffic stop, he wrote.

During the stop, Holzer contacted a probation officer in Idaho, who gave him permission to search both Kusener and the vehicle. According to court documents, Davis arrived on scene and found roughly 64 grams of apparent methamphetamine on Kusener’s person.

During a subsequent conversation with investigators, Kusener allegedly acknowledged that 64 grams amounted to more than personal use, but declined to name the individuals it was meant for, Holzer wrote.

Kusener’s arraignment was originally scheduled for Nov. 30, but it was continued to Dec. 7. When she did not appear, Cuffe issued the bench warrant and upped her bond to $40,000.