Lewiston traffic stop brings drugs, weapons charges against two men

A traffic stop on the 700 block of 21st Street in Lewiston on Thursday afternoon led to the arrest on felony charges for two men.

Chandler L. Black, 19, of Lewiston, and Casey W. Blimka, 40, of Clarkston, were arrested during the stop when police allegedly found two handguns, methamphetamine, marijuana, money, baggies and a scale, Lewiston police Lt. Rick Fuentes said.

Black is charged with felony trafficking in methamphetamine and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $100,000 fine and a minimum penalty of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he is convicted.

Blimka is charged with felony unlawful possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine if he is convicted.

Detectives with the Quad Cities Drug Task Force received drug-related information allegedly regarding Black. Police allege that multiple sources stated Black was selling large amounts of methamphetamine and that he was in possession of a firearm, court records said.

Black was being watched when he got into a gold Buick Regal with a black backpack at a residence in Clarkston with Blimka and a woman Thursday afternoon. Detectives followed the vehicle into Idaho along Main Street and contacted Nez Perce County sheriff’s K-9 Officer JR Gregory and asked him to pull the vehicle over for littering. Police allege Blimka had thrown a cigarette out the window onto Main Street, court records said.

Gregory was able to pull the vehicle over in the Jimmy John’s parking lot. During the traffic stop, Gregory’s K-9, IKar, allegedly alerted to the odor of drugs on the driver’s side of the vehicle. Police allege Black had a .45-caliber handgun concealed in his waistband, and inside the backpack, police allege they found 185 grams, or 6.5 ounces, of methamphetamine in plastic baggies and a digital weight scale, court records said.

The search also allegedly yielded a .40-caliber handgun underneath the driver’s seat where Blimka was seated. Police searched Blimka’s criminal record to discover four prior felonies and charged him with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, court records said.

Black and Blimka were taken to the Nez Perce County Jail, while the other occupant of the car, Mychal L. Nielsen-Blackmon, 21, was charged with possession of a marijuana product (dabs), a misdemeanor, and released from the scene, court records said.

Nez Perce County Magistrate Judge Michelle Evans set Black’s bond at $25,000 and Blimka’s bond at $5,000 at their video arraignments Friday afternoon.

Evans set a preliminary hearing in Black’s case for May 6 and in Blimka’s case for May 20.

Wells may be contacted at mwells@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275.