Suspected fentanyl and other drug paraphernalia was seized from a van following a traffic stop in Cortez on March 26.
Patrol Sgt. Vance Carver was driving north on Broadway around 8:43 a.m. when he spotted a 2005 Kia Sedona van that had expired temporary license plates. The van pulled into Precision Detailing and Glass, 490 S. Broadway.
In his report, Carver said that he was familiar with the van and knew “individuals with controlled substance history often occupy it.”
As he turned on his lights to initiate a traffic stop, the driver and two passengers allegedly began “making movements and reaching towards the center console.”
The occupants of the van were identified as Bradley Harris, Albert Tippett and Brittany Richardson.
After the trio got out of the vehicle, Carver found tooter straws under the driver’s seat and front passenger seat floorboard, along with a “white powdery substance” that appeared to have just been spilled on the floor of the van. There were also several closed containers in sight.
The van was found to belong to Emily Frizzell, who Carver said is being held at the Montezuma County Detention Center. Tippett was unable to provide insurance for the van, though he reported that he was in possession of the van.
After Tippett and Harris consented to a search, Carver found a piece of tin foil that contained a suspected fentanyl pill on Harris. Carver also found suspected fentanyl on Tippett.
Tippett was cited with possession of less than 1 gram of fentanyl and Harris was cited with possession <one gram of fentanyl, driving vehicle when license revoked, failure to present proof of insurance and displaying expired temporary permit.
The van was towed to the Cortez Police Department, and around 4 p.m., Montezuma County Court Judge Ian MacLaren signed a search warrant for the van.
When Carver and Det. Shane Fletcher searched the vehicle, they found a black silicone container with one “M/30" blue pill, which was suspected as fentanyl, five syringes (one which had an unknown dark liquid), a foil with residue and a mostly melted blue pill that was suspected as fentanyl, four tooter straws, one broken glass pipe with residue, a suspected methamphetamine pipe and a blue substance in tin foil along with one blue “M/30" pill.
Carver said the blue substance appeared to be fentanyl pills melted together.
According to the Colorado Judicial website, Tippett is set to appear in Montezuma County Court on Tuesday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. for two plea hearings and in Montezuma County District Court on Thursday, April 24 at 9:30 a.m. for another plea.
He will appear in county court on Wednesday, April 30 at 9 a.m. for arraignment.
Harris will also have a hearing on Tuesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. for a pretrial conference and arraignment.
