Vanzant to plead on hydrocodone charges

A man accused of having nearly 300 prescription painkillers he planned to sell in the Havre area has agreed to change his plea on the charges.

Richard W. Vanzant III, born in 1984, is scheduled to change his plea next Monday in a case charging him with three felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute them, a felony count of possession or use of property subject to forfeiture and a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.

Vanzant was pulled over while driving on a road in Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation for a traffic violation Nov. 7. Rocky Boy police officers contacted a Tri-Agency Task Force agent after they made the traffic stop, saying the black vehicle he was driving matched the description of the car in a report made the previous day that someone was selling drugs in Box Elder.

Vanzant agreed to let the agent search the car, and they found a small amount of apparent marijuana under the car’s dashboard and a prescription bottle containing 267 pills identified as three different kinds or strengths of oxycodone pain pills, the document said.