Montana trio busted on I-90, accused of trafficking meth
Three more Montanans are being held in the Kootenai County jail after being busted for carrying more than a half pound of crystal meth east to Superior, police said.
Bail was set Monday in Coeur d’Alene’s First District Court at $100,000 for Thomas L. Goebel, 61, and Jamie L. Banks, 47, who are charged with felony trafficking methamphetamine.
Lee R. Kaufman, 47, who was with Goebel and Banks at the time of their arrest, is in jail on $35,000 bail. He is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of destroying evidence, all felonies.
The latest bust comes a week after state troopers on I-90 seized more than six ounces of meth in a traffic stop, arresting a Superior, Mont., man and two others.
Goebel and Banks on Monday asked the court for a low bail — around $2,500 — despite their lengthy criminal histories in multiple states, attorneys said.
Kaufman, who also has a criminal history in multiple states including Washington dating back to 1991, attorneys said, was on supervised probation at the time of the arrest.
The three were driving east over the weekend on I-90 in a blue Mercury when they were arrested by state police near the summit of Fourth of July Pass. Troopers said the suspect’s car was veering over the centerline and driving much slower than the posted speed limit.
Troopers said they smelled booze in the car because Goebel, the driver, had spilled an open container of Busch Light under his seat and Banks held an open container. A baggie of heroin was in plain view of police, prompting a search of the Mercury, according to a report.
During the search, troopers said they found syringes and paraphernalia. They said Kaufman told them he had injected heroin, then said he had eaten the heroin before changing his story again. He tossed the drugs out of the car prior to the traffic stop, he told police, according to a report.
During the search, troopers found more than a quarter ounce of methamphetamine in a glasses case, and another quarter-ounce bag of methamphetamine in a lunch cooler. Troopers also seized glass tubing used to make drug pipes, according to a report.
Magistrate James Combo ordered a high bail amount because of Goebel’s extensive criminal history, and the severity of the charges.
“The trafficking is concerning to this court, and that they have no local ties is concerning,” Combo said.
Defense attorneys said Goebel and Banks are engaged, and they own livestock that requires attention. Goebel moved from Spokane to Montana, lives off of Social Security and his entire family lives in Superior, defense attorneys said in their bond argument.
All three defendants will have a preliminary hearing within 21 days in Coeur d’Alene magistrate court.
A week ago, state police say they removed almost a half pound of methamphetamine after arresting three people in a car, including Jonathan R. Ducker, 28, of Superior, Mont., that was heading east on I-90 near the Harrison exit.
