Man convicted of drug crime in Lincoln Co. faces time in state facility

A Columbia Falls man who received a deferred sentence earlier this year for possessing fentanyl is facing time in custody after he allegedly continued his drug use and failed to complete a drug treatment program.

Alexandr Shestak, 54, was originally charged with two felony counts of possession of dangerous drugs and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in the Eureka area in the summer of 2022.

He later pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs and received a 3-year deferred sentence in Lincoln County District Court.

At his Feb. 13 hearing, Shestak said he thought the pills he had in possession were oxycodone, but they were in fact, fentanyl.

According to a petition to revoke filed Oct. 2, Flathead County Probation and Parole Officer Garrett Frechette found methamphetamine and a pipe during a vehicle search on Sept. 21. Frechette wrote in his report that charges were pending in Flathead County. He also reported that Shestak was required to complete the Kalispell Day Re-entry Program but he was terminated from it. The report also indicated Shestak admitted to using meth.

Between April 12 and May 23, Shestak admitted to using meth numerous times. On July 7, he was referred to Oxytocin, a Kalispell-based provider that offers outpatient addiction and mental health services. Frechette reported that Shestak was enrolled in the facility’s program on July 14 and appeared to be on track and focused on his sobriety.

But on July 28, Shestak expressed various concerns with the program and admitted to using meth. When Frechette spoke to a Oxytocin employee, she said Shestak’s participation was lackluster and minimal.

According to court documents, on Aug. 15, the facility reported that Shestak’s attendance was improving, but he hadn’t provided an urine sample since July 12. On Aug. 18, Shestak met with Frechette and said he’d do better.

But on Sept. 8, he admitted to using meth and on Sept. 13, he tested positive for using meth. The facility said it would recommend in-patient treatment.

Frechette filed a petition for sentence revocation and that Shestak be screened for in-patient drug treatment at a state Department of Corrections facility.

According to the charging document in the original case filed by Deputy County Attorney Jeffrey Zwang, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Avila was on patrol at about 2:25 a.m. on June 3, 2022, when he saw a blue Ford F150 driving slower than usual at the intersection of Dewey Avenue and 8th Street in Eureka.

Avila estimated the truck was traveling about 25 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. The officer then reported seeing the truck cross the center line before returning to the correct lane. Avila then pulled the truck over and spoke to Shestak.

When Avila and Deputy Clint Heintz tried to arrest Shestak, he allegedly said, “No, why?” Avila wrote in his report that Shestak started the truck and put it in “drive.”

Avila jumped into the truck and Heintz fired his taser at Shestak, striking him on his right side. Heintz then got the truck into “park” and both deputies got Shestak out of the truck where he allegedly continued to resist efforts to be handcuffed. They eventually were able to place handcuffs on Shestak, according to the charging document.

Heintz then told Avila he could see a meth pipe in plain view on the floorboard. Heintz then took Shestak to the North Lincoln County Law Enforcement Center while Avila took the truck to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Roosville where it was locked in a secure facility.

When Avila returned to law enforcement center, he spoke to Shestak who allegedly said he used the pipe to smoke meth and that there were blue pills, later said to be fentanyl, according to the charging document.

After authorities got a search warrant, they reported finding a number of items, including 74 pills suspected to be fentanyl, a green meth pipe, a clear plastic baggy with a substance believed to be meth, several pieces of burned tin foil with residue and broken pieces of a glass pipe.

Avila wrote in his report that the suspected meth had a weight of 1.7 grams and field tested positive for meth. The suspected fentanyl pills were sent to the Montana State Crime Lab in Missoula.