Libby man pleads; authorities seek trafficking suspect

A Libby man recently pleaded guilty to cocaine possession while his source has a warrant for his arrest after missing multiple court hearings.

In Lincoln County District Court, May 19, 67-year-old Rodney Earle (Hank) Maxim pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. His plea deal calls for him to serve a five-year suspended sentence and forfeit $6,600 in cash that he was carrying at the time of his arrest.

District Judge Matt Cuffe ordered a pre-sentence investigation for Maxim and set sentencing for June 30.

Meanwhile, Maxim’s associate, Tucero Antonio Knippling, 42, of Tacoma, Washington, is being sought by authorities after he failed to show for two hearings earlier this year.

Knippling and Maxim were both arrested Oct. 4, 2024.

According to the warrantless arrest probable cause statement by county officer Derek Breiland, deputies and officers were investigating a narcotics case 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 Maxim.

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.

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 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.

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

Knippling was initially lodged in the county jail on $100,000 bail, 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.

He was arraigned on the charges and pleaded not guilty. He later posted bail on Nov. 13 and his public defender, Scott B. Johnson, filed a motion to suppress evidence Dec. 13. Dec. 27, the state argued against the motion and said the arrest was a good one.

At a Jan. 28, 2025, hearing on the motion, Knippling didn’t show up and Johnson didn’t know where his client was. The next day, Probation Officer Vanessa Williamson filed a report of violation because Knippling hadn’t checked in since Dec. 11.

Cuffe ordered a $250,000 bench warrant for his arrest. 

Knippling also didn’t show for a March 17 pre-trial hearing.