Months after arrest, Eureka man finally arraigned on drug charges

A Eureka man facing multiple felony drug charges was finally arraigned recently in Lincoln County District Court.

Shane Michael Coursey, 56, is accused of possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine and Xanax after his arrest by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Huff in Libby on Jan. 24. On July 10, Coursey pleaded not guilty to three felonies and one misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Coursey’s original arraignment was set for Feb. 13, but his public defender, Ben Kolter said then that Coursey had been released from the county jail for medical reasons. Kolter sought a continuance.

Judge Matt Cuffe granted it and set the next hearing for Feb. 27.

But Coursey didn’t make the Feb. 27 hearing. Kolter said he had been hospitalized due to diabetes. The attorney apologized for not being able to reach Coursey’s mother.

County Attorney Marcia Boris thought the defendant was in Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, but wasn’t sure of his whereabouts.

Cuffe told Kolter he had a week to find Coursey and scheduled a status conference for March 13. Coursey didn’t make that hearing either, but during the discussion it was revealed he was released from Cabinet Peaks. Boris sought a $10,000 warrant for Coursey’s arrest.

Then, at a May 22 hearing, Coursey was not present again. Kolter said he had no information about him, but Boris said Coursey had been arrested in Billings.

Cuffe set the arraignment for July 10 when Coursey appeared.

An online search indicated Coursey had an arrest warrant for him issued in Helena.

In the Lincoln County case, Huff wrote in a probable cause statement that after arresting Coursey for an outstanding warrant and taking him to the Lincoln County Detention Center, he found a mix of pills and crystals in a cup in the man’s jacket pocket.

Huff wrote that the white pills were consistent in appearance to Xanax. Blue and pink tablets field tested positive for fentanyl and the white crystals field tested positive for meth.

According to Flathead County records, a warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 28 for criminal contempt.

Flathead County court records also show Coursey faced charges for fraudulently obtaining dangerous drugs, theft and writing bad checks in 2004 and 2005.

The bad checks case included nearly five dozen for more than $5,000. Coursey received a suspended sentence, but it was later revoked and he was ordered to serve time in a state Department of Corrections facility.