Jan. 23—GRAND FORKS — Three people waived their Wednesday, Jan. 22, preliminary hearings and pleaded not guilty to crimes arising from a Grand Forks County traffic stop where, court documents allege, nearly 200 grams of fentanyl was found in the vehicle.
Olivia Rain Patneaud, 23, of Rolla, is charged with Class A felony possession of at least 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver, Class A misdemeanor possession of a schedule III narcotic drug and Class A misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Jomell Emery Helm, 35, of Detroit, Michigan, and Melvin Earl Byrd, 35, of Eastpointe, Michigan, are both charged with Class A felony possession of at least 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver and Class A misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Helm, Patneaud, Byrd and two others were stopped on U.S. Highway 2 in a vehicle with approximately 195 grams of fentanyl,
which law enforcement believed they were transporting from Detroit, Michigan, to the Turtle Mountain Reservation, according to a declaration of probable cause filed in the case.
Another defendant, Darla Rae Belgarde,
had her preliminary hearing back in December
and, finding probable cause to proceed with the case, she was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to her two felony charges. Her final dispositional conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23.
The final co-defendant, Christian Lee LaRocque, a 22-year-old man from Belcourt, was ordered in December to undergo an evaluation to determine whether he’s competent to stand trial.
Patneaud, Helm and Byrd are scheduled to next appear in court for their final dispositional conferences at 1:30 p.m. April 17.