Feds arrest Gillette man for Natrona County meth distribution

CASPER, Wyo. — A Gillette man who allegedly distributed methamphetamine in the Casper area was arrested in Platte County in late June, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Friday.

Wade Earl Schear, 41, was taken into custody near Chugwater while driving from Colorado on June 22, according to the criminal complaint by a Casper police officer who works as an agent with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

Schear was initially charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which is punishable by 10 years to life imprisonment. That charge could change after a federal grand jury hears evidence whether to charge him with other crimes. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.

The case started in March, the DCI began investigating the possession, transportation and distribution of controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine, in Natrona County, according to the criminal complaint.

Schear was identified as a person of interest.

During the week of March 4, the agent spoke with a confidential information who said Schear was a meth supplier in Natrona County and he would travel multiple times from Gillette to an unknown location to buy the drug. The informant also said Schear drove a white Dodge Ram truck and supplied pictures of the truck and an unmarked photo of Schear.

In May, the writer of the affidavit received information from April about Schear’s vehicle in Larimer County, Colorado, and near Thornton, Colorado.

On June 21, the confidential informant told another special agent that Schear would be driving a Volkswagen bug to Colorado with some friends.

That day, agents saw the Volkswagen travel south on Highway 59 to Colorado and then travel on southbound Interstate 25. Meanwhile, an agent obtained a search warrant to search Schear and the car.

The next day, agents saw Schear’s vehicle traveling slowly — 20-30 mph — with its flashers on north on I-25.

The agents notified the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and a deputy stopped the vehicle near Chugwater. The deputy saw the vehicle was emitting a lot of smoke.

The deputy noticed Shear appeared nervous. The Platte County Sheriff arrived with his K9 partner, which conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics.

Deputies asked Schear to exit the vehicle and he complied.

They searched his vehicle and found:

• 871 grams — 31.1 ounces — of methamphetamine, tested presumptive positive.
• A methamphetamine pipe and syringes.
• 1 ounce of marijuana.
• $811 of U.S. currency held together with a rubber band.
• Four cellular telephones.

Agents interviewed Schear, who waive his Miranda rights.

He said his source of supply was in Colorado, he had traveled there three or four times in the last few months, and would buy one to two pounds of meth at a time.

On this trip, he took $2,000 to $3,000 to buy meth, and he had about two pounds in the vehicle.

Schear denied selling methamphetamine, but admitted to trading to for varioius items. He said used the drug, but didn’t know how much a day.

He called his source of supply to set up meeting loctions and trade methamphetamine to three or four people, he added.

When the interview was over, law enforcement took Schear to the Platte County Detention Center.

The case was handed over to the Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Shear has had previous criminal convictions for drug and firearms crimes, according to federal court records.

In 2008, Wyoming U.S. District Court Judge William Downs sentenced Shear to two-years-seven-months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and a consecutive five years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

In 2015, Shear, then 32 of Cheyenne, was sentenced by Wyoming U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He received five years imprisonment, to be followed by four years of probation, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.