Married couple accused of selling drugs

A husband and wife duo are accused of selling drugs in Havre.

On Feb. 13, 2014, an informant contacted a Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force to tell him that Martha Mitchell, also known as Martha Champagne, was offering to sell them Oxycontin, according to Hill County Attorney charging documents.

The informant told the agent that Martha Mitchell said she would sell 40 milligram tablets of Oxycontin for $50 a tablet. The agent told the informant to set up a sting purchase for four tablets.

According to the charging documents, before meeting Martha Mitchell for the setup purchase, the agent put a recording device in the vehicle to record any conversation between the informant, Martha and other co-conspirators.

The informant met Martha in the Havre Kmart parking lot. The file says Martha and her husband, James Dean Mitchell, went into the informant's vehicle. The informant gave Martha $200 and she handed the informant four orange tablets with the inscription “OP 40” on them.

The document states the informant said James “was sitting in the back” while the drug transaction happened. The informant added that Martha and James said they could “hook” the informant up with methamphetamine as well.

In April, the document stated, an informant contacted an agent about Martha selling more Oxycontin pills. The document is unclear if it's the same or a different informant. Again, the married duo of Martha and James sold four 50 milligram Oxycontin pills to an informant, this time at the Town Pump.

Martha and James Mitchell are each charged with two counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. They will have a chance to plead guilty or not guilty April 1 at 1:30 p.m. in state District Court.