Arizona man facing drug and gun charges after police find heroin, thousands of pills in car
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POCATELLO — Officers conducting a welfare check in Pocatello arrested an Arizona man who allegedly had about 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills.
Marco Antonio Osuna, 27, has been charged with a felony for possession of fentanyl with the intent to deliver. He also faces felony charges of trafficking in heroin, battery on an officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to court documents. Additionally, he is charged with a misdemeanor for resisting arrest.
The Pocatello Police Department received calls of a man slumped over in the driver’s seat of a running car parked on the 100 block of Jefferson Avenue around 7 p.m. Saturday, an affidavit of probable cause reads. Callers told police that the man, later identified as Osuna, had been there for around two hours.
Upon arrival, officers requested identification. Osuna lowered his driver’s window but locked the doors, police reports show.
While confirming his identity, officers noted that Osuna was continuously reaching into his glove compartment, center console and backseat.
After determining that he was likely under the influence of drugs or alcohol, officers asked Osuna to step out of his vehicle. He responded by reaching toward his backseat, but an officer opened his door to help him out of the car.
As he stood, a “tooter” — used for ingesting narcotics through the nose — allegedly fell out of Osuna’s lap. Officers informed him that he was under arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia. As they began to handcuff him, Osuna allegedly tried to shake free of the officers, kicking one several times, and get back into his car.
Officers deployed Tasers, disabling Osuna. He was eventually subdued and handcuffed.
During a search of his vehicle, officers found two loaded firearms — a rifle and a pistol — in the backseat.
Officers also found a backpack, containing a photo copy of Osuna’s driver’s license and several packages officers believed to contain heroin and fentanyl-laced pills.
The heroin weighed in at 321.94 grams.
The suspected fentanyl-laced pills were also weighed, at 1,115.41 grams — about 2.5 pounds.
All heroin and pills were sent to a lab for analysis.
In an interview, Osuna allegedly told officers that he had made around four trips from Arizona to Pocatello with the intent to sell fentanyl-laced pills and heroin. He told officers that he had bought 10,000 pills in Arizona.
Osuna was arrested and transported to Bannock County Jail.
If he is found guilty, Osuna will face a minimum of 15 years in prison for trafficking heroin with a possible life sentence. The possession with intent to deliver charge also carries with it a potential life sentence, while two separate charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon could bring up to five years apiece, as does battery on an officer. Osuna could also face financial penalties up to nearly $200,000.
He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Monday.