Bust nets suspected meth

An attempt to serve a warrant on a Havre resident led to discovery of suspected illegal drugs, including about 850 grams of methamphetamine, the Tri-Agency Task Force said.

A task force agent said this morning that the seizure may be the largest amount of methamphetamine found in Havre.

The suspected drugs were discovered after Paul Joseph Doney, 38, of Havre was arrested at 12:41 a.m. Sunday on District Court warrants, according to a task force press release.

The release said a Hill County sheriff's deputy attempted to contact Doney early Sunday morning to serve the warrants from state District Court in Cascade County. Doney fled on foot from the vehicle he was in, and was later arrested by deputies and Havre police officers in a house in the 1500 block of Fourth Street, the press release said.

The Tri-Agency Task Force obtained a search warrant for the house and vehicle. The search found about 850 grams of suspected methamphetamine, about 200 grams of suspected cocaine and about 2 kilograms of suspected marijuana, the task force agent said.

The task force also seized more than $8,500 in cash, three semiautomatic weapons and a 1996 Eagle Talon.

The law enforcement officers later found that Doney also was wanted on misdemeanor warrants out of Great Falls and Helena, the release said.

Doney is being held in the Cascade County jail on the warrants. The Tri-Agency Task Force and the FBI are investigating the incident, the task force press release said.

The task force said the suspected drugs have a combined estimated street value of $112,000.