Washington man accused of cocaine dealing in county

An investigation by Lincoln County law enforcement has led to the arrest of a career criminal with a record in multiple Western states in the last quarter century.

Tucero Antonio Knippling, 42, of Tacoma, Washington, is lodged in the county jail on $100,000 bail. He is charged with two felonies, criminal possession of drugs with intent to distribute, carrying dangerous drugs on a train, and one misdemeanor, obstructing a peace officer.

Knippling was arraigned on the charges Monday in Lincoln County District Court and pleaded not guilty. 

He faces a maximum of 20 years in the Montana State Prison if convicted of the possession with intent to distribute charge. His next court hearing is set for Nov. 12.

According to the warrantless arrest probable cause statement by county officer Derek Breiland, deputies and officers were investigating a narcotics case on Oct. 4 when they saw Knippling, carrying two backpacks, get off an Amtrak train at 9:15 a.m. and get into a pickup truck belonging to 67-year-old Rodney Earle (Hank) Maxim, a known drug user and distributor.

After leaving the train station, the truck headed north on Highway 37 before Deputy John Hyslop, Breiland, Det. Anthony Jenson and Libby officer Don Luthey stopped the vehicle at the intersection of City Service Road and California Ave.

Maxim got out of the truck first. When Knippling was ordered to get out, he allegedly ran across the Kootenai Bridge toward the train tracks. Hyslop and Deputy Andrew Smith chased him down and arrested him near the river on the rocks.

After getting a search warrant for the truck, officers reported finding 20 grams of a substance that field tested positive for cocaine that were individually packaged in 40 small bags.

Officers also reported finding cocaine in Maxim’s possession as well as a large amount of cash.

According to the charging document, Knippling was in Libby four times in the last month, arriving on Friday mornings and leaving on Friday evenings.

Breiland’s report detailed Knippling’s criminal history, including felony distribution of drugs in 2017 in South Dakota, obstructing a peace officer in 1999 in Washington, three robbery charges in 1999 in Washington, escape in 2002 in Washington, and other burglaries, robberies, assault with a weapon and multiple probation and parole violations.

According to a Nov. 16, 2005, story in The Spokeman-Review, Knippling, 23 at the time, was convicted by a jury of multiple home invasion robberies during a crime spree in April 2005. 

Knippling’s record also included a conviction for second-degree robbery in 1999 and a 2002 conviction for a first-degree theft of a Hillyard convenience store, and a second-degree assault on the clerk who tried to stop him. Knippling also was convicted of first-degree theft as a juvenile in 1998.

According to Washington’s “three strikes” law, Knippling was eligible for a life sentence, which is what he received. But an appeals court determined in 2007 that because the accused was a juvenile, 16 years old, at the time of one of the crimes, he was not a persistent offender and not eligible for a life term. 

Maxim is also lodged in the county jail on $30,000 bail, charged with two felonies for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture as well as a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to deputy Smith’s report, he took Maxim to the county jail and got the defendant’s permission to remove various items from the man’s pockets. During the search, Maxim allegedly said, “I’m a drug addict.” When Smith asked him what his drug of choice was, Maxim said, “cocaine.”

The search turned up a pipe and a clear container that held a white rock and powder. The substances field tested positive for cocaine. It also turned up $5,900 in $100 bills in a shorts pocket. During an inventory of Maxim’s wallet after his arrest, $700 in $100 bills was found.