Dayton woman faces life in prison for fentanyl, meth bust

A 29-year-old Dayton woman is facing up to life in prison after her arrest in Lewiston on Wednesday for allegedly selling fentanyl and methamphetamine.

According to an affidavit from Lewiston police, Desiree K. Rodriguez allegedly had approximately 700 fentanyl pills and 190 grams of methamphetamine in a silver 1999 Cadillac DeVille officers pulled over for having a broken windshield. The search of the vehicle also allegedly found $1,131 in cash, a .45 caliber handgun, notes indicating drug sales and a scale with white powder on it, according to police.

Rodriguez made her initial appearance Thursday before Nez Perce County Magistrate Karin Seubert, where she was also informed of misdemeanor marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges that are based on other items allegedly seized from the vehicle. The judge granted a prosecution request for a $50,000 bond in the case, determining that Rodriguez poses a risk to the community because of the potentially deadly effects of the suspected fentanyl pills.

Limited public defender Travis Hartshorn asked the judge to release Rodriguez on her own recognizance, noting she is an unemployed housekeeper with a husband and four young children at home. Hartshorn said Rodriguez also needs to be free to attend a postpartum doctor’s appointment, but Seubert was unswayed. She appointed Lewiston law firm Magyar, Rauch and Associates to represent Rodriguez and set a Jan. 12 preliminary hearing in the case.

In a news release, Detective Chris Reese noted the counterfeit fentanyl pills have led to an increase in drug overdose calls in the region. They are made to look like legitimate oxycontin pills, which are blue with a letter “M’’ stamped on the side. But they can contain wildly varying doses of fentanyl. The synthetic opioid can be as much as 100 times more powerful than morphine and has led to a surge of overdose deaths across the country, according to the DEA.

In the affidavit, he noted that people involved in the sale, purchase and use of the pills often refer to them as “vitamins.”

Describing what led to the arrest, Reese wrote that a detective from the Quad Cities Drug Task Force informed him Wednesday of suspected drug activity at a Clarkston residence. The detective followed two vehicles, including the Cadillac, from the residence to a Lewiston hotel. The other vehicle returned to Washington, but Reese located the Cadillac a short time later at a nearby residence that is known for drug activity.

He continued to follow the vehicle after the driver left the residence, and observed the badly broken windshield, according to the affidavit. Reese stopped the vehicle in the 200 block of D Street and identified the driver as Rodriguez. A drug dog deployed to the scene indicated there were narcotics in the car, which gave the officers probable cause to conduct the search that led to the charges.

Rodriguez is charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, two felonies that carry maximum sentences of life in prison. The misdemeanor charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com