From the courts: District Court

Woman sentenced for involvement in drug package shipping

A Havre woman received five years probation Monday in state District Court for her involvement in the shipping of a package from California that contained a half pound of methamphetamine and over 300 prescription pills.

Elizabeth E. Barnes, born in 1983, received five years with the Department of Corrections, all suspended, for two felony counts of the offense conspiracy to distribute dangerous drugs and one felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. The sentence was part of a plea deal that dismissed a felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Court documents say a Havre police officer contacted a Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force agent Dec. 21, 2015, about a suspicious package found by a U.S. Postal Service worker. The package, the postal worker said, came from California and was to be delivered to a Havre residence. The post office worker added that a package from California had been sent to that address once a month for the last three months.

The agent took the package, which was addressed to Elizabeth Eaglehart, a person he knew used to go by Elizabeth Barnes but had changed her name after marrying. On the box, the words “Havre” and “Barnes” were misspelled, errors, the agent believed, indicative that drugs may be inside. The agent confirmed that Barnes lived at the address.

The agent investigated the name of the sender and found no one by that name in the California area the package was listed to have been sent from.

“Senders use false information so that law enforcement cannot trace the packages back to them if they are intercepted,”  court documents say.

A K-9 was brought in by a U.S. Border Patrol agent, and the dog indicated to officers that dangerous drugs may be in the package. A search warrant for the residence was applied for and granted.

The postal worker then went through with a controlled delivery of the package. The woman who signed for the package signed a name other than Barnes.

An officer later went to the house and asked the four occupants, Barnes among them, to get out of the house. More officers arrived on the scene afterward.

When speaking to an agent, Barnes denied ownership of the package. An agent gave her the warrant and then opened the package. Inside the package was 464.5 grams of meth and two bags containing 363 Oxycodone pills.

Barnes said the package was someone else’s and she didn’t know it was coming. She then made a controlled call to the man she said it belonged to and told him the package had arrived.

The man drove over to Barnes’ residence from the El Toro Inn, where he was staying, and was arrested for violations of conditions release.

Agents then executed the search warrant on the house and among the items found were digital scales, syringes, and Lisdexamfetamine and Methylphenidate Hydrochloride pills, testosterone and paraphernalia indicative of marijuana use and growth.

Barnes said the man who was arrested uses vulnerable women — making them think he likes them —  and has drugs shipped to them.

Charging documents say she agreed to speak and said the man sent money to his suppliers through Wells Fargo. He had the drugs shipped to her because he couldn’t receive them at the motel. She said she owed him money. Barnes also admitted to buying meth from the man in question.

After executing warrants for electronic devices, agents concluded the intended recipient of the package was the man who came to pick it up. Agents had reason to believe the man was tracking the packages.  

Box Elder man sentenced for selling meth

A Box Elder man received three years probation Monday in District Court for selling methamphetamine near Box Elder School.

Daniel B. Friede Jr., born in 1978, received a three-year deferred imposition of sentence for the offense of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs on or near school property. He was also ordered to pay $400 in assigned counsel and a $300 in restitution to the Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force. The sentence was part of a plea deal and if Friede follows the conditions of his sentence, he can have the offense struck off his record.

Charging documents say an informant contacted a Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force agent May 29, 2013, saying Friede had sent him Facebook messages about selling methamphetamine. A controlled purchase was then set up at a U.S. Highway 87 business and the informant bought drugs.

The informant told agents afterward that when he met with Friede he was told that all the meth had been sold. Friede then told the informant that if he gave him the money, he could get more meth.

The informant followed Friede to his house, which was within 1,000 feet of Box Elder School. The informant bought what turned out to be .8 grams of meth.

Friede sold the informant more meth June 7, 2013, two bindles at a price of $100.

Havre woman sentenced for selling pills

A Havre woman received three years probation Monday in District Court in Havre for selling prescription pills to an informant.

Angela R. Newfield, born in 1963, received a three-year deferred imposition of sentence for the offense of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. The sentence was part of a plea deal, and if Newfield follows the conditions, she can have the offense struck off her record.

Court charging documents say an informant contacted a Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force agent Sept. 29, 2104, to tell him that Newfield was selling the prescription medication Hydrocodone.

A controlled purchase was coordinated by agents between the informant and Newfield.

The informant picked Newfield up at a Lincoln Avenue address and then drove to a First Street bar. With two passengers now in the vehicle, the informant then stopped by a gas station before returning to the Lincoln Avenue address. The passengers left the car and the informant then met with agents.

Afterward, the informant handed agents seven pink pills bought from Newfield, which were identified as 7.5 mg Hydrocodone tablets. The agents listened to the audio recording and determined another person, a man, gave Newfield the pills, and she gave them to the informant, who then gave Newfield money for them.