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PRICE, Carbon County —Two individuals were arrested Saturday in an early morning raid on suspicion of allegedly housing an illegal drug den.
At 4:30 a.m., the Carbon Metro City Task Force, assisted by officers from Price City Police, Helper City Police and the Carbon County Sheriff's Office, served a search warrant on the residence of Thomas Albert Sanchez at 390 North 100 East in Price, according to investigators.
Deputies from the Carbon County Sheriff's Office SWAT team comprised the initial entry team. According to Price City Police, surprise entry technologies and tactics were utilized by the team. No law enforcement official was injured in the execution of the search warrant.
Sanchez, 31, was taken into custody along with his girlfriend, 21-year-old Sheena Lee Brimhall, who also lived in the residence. In a statement from the Price City Police Department, investigators wrote that the residence is reputed to be an illegal drug den and has allegedly been the site of other violent criminal acts. The task force had been utilizing "a variety of investigative means to uncover alleged illegal narcotics activities" at the home.
Upon searching the residence, police said they discovered numerous items of drug paraphernalia and personal amounts of various types of illegal drugs throughout the house. According to police, some of the items were in close proximity and "actually under children's toys."
Just under $15,000 was also seized. Six firearms were seized, some of which were loaded, along with stores of ammunition. Police said Sanchez kept his "substantial load" of illegal narcotics for alleged distribution in a secret hiding place that was discovered by one of the deputies.
"Methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, psychotropic mushrooms and anabolic steroids are among the drugs located," the Price City Police Department said in a written statement.
Sanchez and Brimhall were taken to Carbon County Jail and both will be booked on a variety of felony-level drug and weapons charges, according to investigators. Brimhall will also be booked on a misdemeanor traffic warrant out of the Carbon County Justice Court.
According to police, Sanchez has two prior arrests and Brimhall has no prior arrests.
Police stated that the Carbon County Attorney will review final reports and determine appropriate formal charges. The Carbon Metro Drug Task Force and Carbon County Attorney's Office will be in communication with federal authorities to determine if the case should be prosecuted at the federal level. Contact the author at xcardenas@ksl.com or on Twitter: @XoelCardenas.
