Man facing drug trafficking charge after allegedly selling meth to informant
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IDAHO FALLS — A 43-year-old Idaho Falls man is facing a drug trafficking charge after allegedly selling methamphetamine for hundreds of dollars.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Idaho Falls Police Department, a confidential informant contacted police and said he or she could buy 1 ounce of methamphetamine from Ben Rubidoux for $450.
A CI is not a member of law enforcement but is an individual who is secretly working with officers and supplies information on criminal activity.
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In September, police and the informant met, and officers followed the informant to the purchase. Charges were filed against Rubidoux in January.
Police gave an audio recording device to the informant for the conversation with Rubidoux.
Rubidoux was seen pulling into the Walgreens parking lot off 1st Street in Idaho Falls in a black 2011 Kia Soul, documents said. The informant gave Rubidoux the money, and he allegedly gave the CI a large rock of methamphetamine. The pair joked about the size of the rock.
Police searched the informant after the purchase and collected the substance and audio recorder.
“I weighed the suspected methamphetamine. It weighed 24 grams, 4 grams short of an ounce. Ben agreed to sell an ounce of methamphetamine for $450 and shorted (the informant) 4 grams,” documents said.
The rock tested positive for meth.
Rubidoux was charged with felony drug trafficking and was issued an arrest warrant. He appeared in court Monday and was given a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. in the Bonneville County Courthouse.