Woman charged with selling prescription drugs

SPIRIT LAKE - A 54-year-old Spirit Lake woman was arrested Wednesday morning for felony delivery of prescription drugs.

Spirit Lake Police Chief Keith Hutcheson said Lesha Hegel sold Hydrocodone, a painkiller, to an undercover agent for the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force multiple times.

Hegel was arrested by Spirit Lake Officer Daniel Koontz at her home on Jackson Street without incident.

"The task force and Officer Koontz collaborated well on the case," Hutcheson said. "They started to work the case about a month and a half ago. I couldn't be happier about how the two departments worked together."

Hutcheson said citizen tips sparked the investigation.

"A lot of information comes from neighbors and people in town noticing things," Hutcheson said. "Citizen information is a huge help in small towns."

Hutcheson said the undercover agent allegedly purchased the drugs from Hegel multiple times to make the police's case stronger.

Hutcheson said there's a "tremendous amount" of local cases in which prescription drugs are being sold or stolen.

"If they're walking around with a bottle with their name on it, there's nothing you can do," he said. "So you have to catch them dealing the drugs."

Hutcheson said Hegel denied selling the medication.

Hutcheson encourages residents to turn in their unused or unwanted prescription drugs to their local police department so they can be properly disposed of by incineration. The drugs should not be flushed down the toilet, as it contaminates the water system.