Vanzant pleads guilty on painkiller charges

A man admitted Monday to having nearly 300 prescription painkillers he planned to sell when he was pulled over Nov. 7 on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

Richard W. Vanzant III, born in 1984, pleaded guilty in state District Court in Havre to possessing 267 oxycodone pills he planned to sell. Under the plea agreement, a felony count of possession of property subject to forfeiture and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana will be dismissed.

In a civil case, Vanzant already forfeited $1,431 and a Pontiac Grand Prix to the local drug task force.

State District Judge Dan Boucher set sentencing for Sept. 8.

Rocky Boy Police pulled over the black Pontiac Vanzant was driving for a traffic violation. They called a drug task force agent to report the car matched the description of a vehicle whose driver allegedly was selling drugs near a business in Box Elder, a caller reported the previous day.

The officer said Vanzant had allowed a search of the vehicle, which smelled strongly of marijuana. The officer found a large amount of cash in the car.

Two task force agents responded and requested a narcotic-detecting dog be brought to the scene.

After the dog alerted the agents, they asked Vanzant if they could search the vehicle and he agreed.

The agents found small amount of apparent marijuana under the dash, and, behind it, a prescription bottle. The agent could not read the prescription nor to whom it was made due to its age and discoloration. The bottle contained 267 pills identified as three different kinds or strengths of oxycodone pain pills.