Informants prove valuable to task force

The Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force has used informants to help indict several people over the years for charges of illegally distributing drugs throughout Hill County.

The following quote from a charging document illustrates the importance of informants in obtaining indictments:

“During the debrief, Informant reported purchasing or receiving controlled prescription medications from several individuals in the Havre area. Informant provided information corroborating and supporting Task Force and Havre Police Department investigations. Informant also corroborated other Task Force informants, providing information previously received from other informants and supported through further investigation. During the debrief, Informant provided specific information regarding subjects of Task Force investigations, as well as statements against interest, implicating drug activity.”

The informant allegedly illegally bought six scheduled prescription drugs from Michael L. Combs July 30, 2014. The pills were one Ativan 2 milligram tablet, two Hydrocodone 7.5 mg tablets and three Clonazepan 1 mg tablets.

Combs pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. Combs’ public defender, Karen Alley, has until May 27 to reserve motions and set trial and hearing dates.

Jayme Crawford is being charged with criminal distribution of dangerous drugs after she allegedly sold a total of 31 prescription tablets to an informant on two different occasions, both transactions allegedly took place at Kmart, files say.

The first batch of pills, 15 of them, were the tranquilizer Klonopin, the second were the generic form Clonazepam. The sale allegedly happened November 2013.

Crawford is scheduled to appear in state District Court May 3 at 9:30 a.m. to plead to the charges.

Lorie V. Bone is charged with criminal distribution of dangerous drugs for allegedly selling eight Hydrocodone 5 mg. tablets for $15 a tablet and five packs of Old Gold 100 cigarettes to an informant. The incident allegedly happened July 22, 2013, in Havre. The pills Bone is charged with distributing were from her prescription.

Bone is scheduled to appear in state District Court and plead guilty or not guilty May 16.