Gillette Man Charged With Six Felony Drug Offenses
A Gillette man heard charges of six felony counts of drug possession during his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court on Monday.
Zachary Stott, 29, is charged with three counts of possession of felony weights of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine hydrochloride, each of which is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment, Circuit Court Judge Michael Patchen said.
Stott also is charged with three counts of felony possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, Patchen said.
Assistant District Attorney Ana Covert recommended a $40,000 cash or surety bond because Stott has few if any ties to the Casper-area community and because of the severity of the crimes and potential punishments.
Patchen agreed.
Stott was arrested after a traffic stop in north Casper early Friday morning, according to the police affidavit accompanying the charging documents.
An officer wrote she was patrolling on East F Street when she saw a black GMC truck traveling south on North Center Street, saw it turn westbound on West F Street into the eastbound lane, and saw it correct and go the westbound lane.
The officer pulled over the vehicle, contacted Stott and a passenger who initially refused to identify himself, according to the affidavit.
Stott said he was from Gillette for the day and thought the street was a one-way street, and was very nervous with shallow breathing. The male passenger was even more nervous with shaking and "constantly rubbing his sweaty hands on his legs," according according to the affidavit.
Stott, she wrote, "was facetiming his girlfriend the entire stop, even during his one leg stand test...."
The officer called for another unit and a K9 officer, which alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.
Officers found numerous drug-related items including:
- A methamphetamine water bong.
- An "Alice in Wonderland" book, which was a safe inside a backpack.
- Unused syringes.
- A makeshift Glock handgun with no serial number.
- Jewelers' bags with buprenorphine hydrochloride, methamphetamine and fentanyl pills.
- A digital scale with drug residue.
Stott said he was a drug user but not a dealer, and would consume 30 fentanyl pills a day and use methamphetamine sparingly, according to the affidavit. "Stott stated he came to Casper, WY to get the drugs because they were cheaper here and he knew people here who would give him a deal, but Stott did not say who those people were."
While he was not a dealer, he said he bought methamphetamine in bulk, according to the affidavit.
Stott was arrested and taken to the Natrona County jail.
The drugs were tested at the police station and were found to be felony weights.
The officer also wrote that packaging controlled substances in safes was a method usually used by drug dealers to hide their products, according to the affidavit.