Man allegedly threatening mom with gun leads to drug bust

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department on Monday.

IDAHO FALLS – On June 24 at approximately 9 a.m., Idaho Falls Police officers were dispatched to a residence on Three Fountains Drive for a report of a disturbance. According to callers, a man and a woman had been involved in a verbal argument when the man had pointed a gun at the woman before leaving the residence.

Officers responded and spoke to a witness and the victim and learned that the victim and her adult son, Nicholas Milloway, had had a verbal disagreement. During the disagreement, the victim stated that she felt Milloway became aggressive toward her. She left the residence to ask for help from a neighbor to defuse the situation. Milloway followed her, threatening her with the firearm before leaving in a Silver Pontiac Fiero with another male, Aspen Gosswiller, who had been present during the interaction.

Officers began searching for Milloway and searched his place of business, the last known address for Gosswiller and other locations but were unable to locate the two men at those locations. Officers broadcasted an attempt to locate for Milloway, Gosswiller, and the involved vehicle to area law enforcement.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Idaho Falls Police officers assigned to the IFPD Bike Patrol in city parks were patrolling in the South Tourist Park campground on Yellowstone when they located the suspect vehicle. Additional officers responded to assist and located Nicholas Milloway at a camp trailer at the park with the suspect vehicle outside.

Officers informed Milloway of his Miranda Rights, and he agreed to speak with them. Milloway stated that he had argued with his mother but did not say anything initially about the firearm or the threat. Officers informed Milloway that they had spoken with the victim and a witness. Milloway confirmed that he had threatened the victim, but denied having a firearm at the time. He eventually said that he believed there had been a firearm sitting on the table at the residence, but that it belonged to Gosswiller and that it was probably still at the residence on Three Fountains Drive.

While speaking with Milloway, officers also located Aspen Gosswiller, who had been present during the earlier interaction on Three Fountains Drive and who owned the suspect vehicle.

Officers spoke with Gosswiller and, due to the nature of the call, asked if they could pat him down to ensure he had no weapons on him. While performing the pat down, officers located a syringe and needle in one of his pockets. Gosswiller admitted that their may be methamphetamine in the needle but told officers that the pants he was wearing were not his and he had been unaware there was a needle in his pocket. When asked whose pants they were, Gosswiller named another male present. However, that male was considerably taller than Gosswiller. While the pants appeared to fit Gosswiller, they would not have fit the man Gosswiller indicated was the owner of the pants. Officers explained this to Gosswiller, and he changed his story, stating that he had gotten dressed in a hurry and did not know who the pants belonged to.

Officers also located a magazine for a Kahr 9-6 handgun in Gosswiller’s pocket. Gosswiller stated to officers that he was a convicted felon and that he could not be around firearms. He stated that there were many magazines inside the camp trailer, but no firearms.

Officers contacted the owner of the camp trailer, who confirmed that Gosswiller had been staying there and granted permission for officers to search it. Officers began a search and called for the Idaho Falls Police Department K9 Officer on duty. This K9 is trained in bomb detection and to find items with gunpowder residue.

Officers located a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, the case for a Kahr 9-6 pistol, ammunition for the shotgun and the pistol, as well as 7.5 grams of methamphetamine, 8.3 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia. Gosswiller admitted that his fingerprints would be on the shotgun when processed by Idaho Falls Police Department Crime Scene Investigators.

The Idaho Falls Police Department K9 searched the camp trailer and located the Kahr 9-6 hidden in the camp trailer. The pistol is silver and black and matched the description given of the pistol used in the earlier disturbance by Nicholas Milloway.

Nicholas Milloway, a 28-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Aspen Gosswiller, a 26-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), drug trafficking in heroin (7 to 28 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

When Milloway and Gosswiller were told they were under arrest, both men told officers they had swallowed heroin and/or meth as officers were arriving in order to conceal it from officers. Gosswiller also stated that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Officers took both males to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and informed medical staff of the situation. Both Milloway and Gosswiller were evaluated for a jail clearance for their safety, which was granted. It was also determined that Gosswiller had not tested positive for COVID-19, nor did he show any symptoms. Both males were taken to the Bonneville County Jail and booked for their respective offenses.