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ST. GEORGE — Three people from Montana were arrested after police said they discovered nearly 5,000 suspected fentanyl pills in their car.
Marcus Hanson, Nathan White and Breanna Johannesen were pulled over on I-15 just north of the Arizona state line Saturday night after a Washington County sheriff's deputy observed what he viewed as suspicious behavior in their car. The deputy was monitoring traffic from the I-15 median when the three occupants leaned back "as to avoid being seen by me," raising his suspicions, he wrote in the arrest affidavits for the trio.
After pulling the car over, he requested the assistance of a Utah Highway Patrol drug-sniffing dog, leading to a "positive indication" for drugs in the car. A subsequent search by law enforcement officials yielded 4,995 suspected fentanyl pills, 6.5 grams of suspected fentanyl powder and drug paraphernalia, according to the affidavits. Two suspected methamphetamine pipes were also found in the car.
Hanson told the deputy the three had been traveling from Las Vegas, according to the affidavit.
All three face charges in 5th District Court in St. George of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, a second-degree felony; and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, a class A misdemeanor. Johannesen, 45, and White, 27, are from Billings, Montana, according to charging documents. Hanson, 48, is from Havre, Montana.
All three made their initial court appearances this week and as of Thursday were being held in the Washington County Jail.
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Tim Vandenack
