Man facing drug trafficking charges in Bonneville County
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IDAHO FALLS — A 52-year-old man is facing two felony counts of drug trafficking in heroin.
Ricky Benjamin made his initial court appearance on Feb. 14. He pleaded not guilty to both charges during his arraignment in district court last week.
Police reports show Benjamin offered to sell a detective working undercover with the Bonneville County Special Investigations Unit half an ounce of heroin for $750 on May 18, 2020. They arranged to meet in the parking lot of Walmart at 1201 South 25th East in Ammon.
“Surveillance units observed a gray Toyota Tundra pickup … park next to the (detective’s) vehicle,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The detective got into the back passenger side door of the Toyota before getting out and rummaging around in his own vehicle and getting back into the passenger door of Benjamin’s vehicle. Benjamin allegedly drove away a short time later when the detective got out.
The detective met with other members of the investigations unit later at an undisclosed location and handed over what officers describe as a “small bag containing a black tar substance.” Benjamin, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was allegedly one of three people in the vehicle.
The bag was later tested and weighed. The field test didn’t immediately recognize it as a drug, but it came back with a weight of 12.3 grams. Detectives submitted it to a state lab for further testing.
A similar incident is reported to have occurred on June 17, 2020. Another undercover detective was allegedly contacted by Benjamin and offered half an ounce of heroin for $850. They met in the Albertson’s parking lot at 590 East 17th Street in Idaho Falls in a black Honda Civic. The detective walked away with a bag containing a black hard substance. It had a packaged weight of 10.7 grams, but also didn’t immediately test as a drug.
The substances obtained in both instances were later confirmed to be heroin by the state lab.
Benjamin was arrested and taken into custody on Feb. 11. District Judge Dane Watkins set his bond at $50,000. An order for work detail was filed on March 16. A status conference is set for April 5.
If convicted, Benjamin could get 10 years to life in prison and a $15,000 to $100,000 fine.
Although Benjamin is accused of these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.