First not guilty plea in major drug bust

Monday afternoon in Hot Springs District Court, Tiffany Ringgenberg of Cody pleaded not guilty to felony charges of possession of methamphetamine and conspiracy to deliver meth. The charges carry with them a combined possible sentence of 27 years in prison and a $40,000 fine. Though no date is yet scheduled, trial is expected to take at least three days for Ringgenberg.

However, she is only one of three subjects arrested July 22 in a meth bust involving over 91 grams of the drug.

Though originally held on a $100,000 cash bond, that bond was reduced to a $10,000 signature bond. Defense attorney Richard Hopkinson argued for the reduction, stating Ringgenberg had a job waiting for her and ties to her community, and was not a flight risk.

Hot Springs County Attorney Jill Logan argued against the reduction and said Ringgenberg had extensive criminal history including felony charges and drug charges, and in one incident pointed a firearm at someone. She further noted the large amount of meth involved and said this was a very serious crime.

In his rebuttal, Hopkinson questioned where the allegations that Ringgenberg had felony and drug charges were coming from as he noted there was no record of them. In addition to the bond reduction, Ringgenberg is not to leave Hot Springs County or Park County, and is not to have contact with Michael Guzman, Joseph Grant or a confidential source — if she knows who it is.

According to court documents, a special agent with the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigations received a text message from the confidential source, stating that Ringgenberg had just called the source and stated “they” had just come across the border. The agent took this to mean the Colorado/Wyoming border.

A controlled buy was set up between the source and Ringgenberg later in the day, and the agent communicated with the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office and Thermopolis Police Department to make them aware of the buy and that Ringgenberg would be coming to town with a substantial amount of meth.

Through communication with the confidential source, the vehicle — a Dodge Neon — was located and Ringgenberg was noted as one of the occupants. Other occupants were Joseph Grant and Michael Guzman, the latter of which is known to be a meth supplier from Gillette and who travels around with meth in the Big Horn Basin.

All three subjects were arrested and an officer observed a small plastic bag containing suspected meth in the vehicle as well as a second baggie with a large white chunk. There was also a digital scale located and crystalline pieces all over the floor. The officer said it appeared Guzman was weighing the substance when the vehicle was approached. The officer seized the suspected meth as it was in plain view, the vehicle was towed and the three subjects were transported to the detention center.

During the booking process, Grant was found to have 3.45 grams of suspected meth hidden in his underwear. A later search of the vehicle yielded two clear baggies of suspected meth — weighing 4.9 grams and one gram — in a purse belonging to Ringgenberg, a digital scale, suspected meth scattered all over the vehicle floor and a clear plastic wrap containing suspected marijuana.

The full weight of all the suspected meth found — which was later tested and returned presumptive positive — was 91.46 grams.

In an interview the following day, July 23, Ringgenberg said she was contacted by Guzman to go with him to Greeley Colo., to get meth. Ringgenberg further added she had known Guzman for about 20 years, and Guzman invited her because he knew she could help “get rid of” the meth.

During the stop in Colorado, Ringgenberg stated Guzman paid a large amount of cash for the meth and the transaction lasted about an hour. The two then began their return trip. Though Guzman originally set up a buy in Kaycee, he received a call from the buyer notifying him he had been pulled over.

Along the way, they also picked up Grant in Casper. Guzman and Grant met while in prison in Torrington. In an interview with Grant by the DCI agent, he said he did not know Ringgenberg. The three continued on, with Guzman delivering meth to a female subject in Worland and Ringgenberg setting up a buy in Thermopolis; that buyer was the confidential source that helped bring the operation to a halt.

Also during the interview with Grant, the agent stated being knowledgeable of his and Guzman’s relationship and wanted to know what Grant’s role was, to which Grant replied that he wanted a lawyer.

Guzman is held on a $200,000 cash bond, facing felony charges of possession of meth, possession of meth with intent to deliver and conspiracy to deliver meth. The charges carry a combined possible maximum sentence of 47 years and $65,000 in fines. His case has been bound over to Hot Springs District Court, though no appearance date has been set.

In this incident, Grant is held on a $100,000 cash bond for felony possession of meth and conspiracy to deliver meth, charges which carry a maximum 27 years in prison and $35,000 in fines.

He is also charged with felony property destruction more than $1,000, a charge that has a maximum of 10 years and a $10,000 fine. According to the charge, while in jail on July 23 he became upset about not getting paperwork he expected. He is seen on video approaching a window in the jail dayroom and cracking it with his forehead, though he walks away shaking his head and later said he didn’t mean to. The estimated cost of replacing the window is $1,440. Grant is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Hot Springs on Sept. 23.

As of Tuesday morning, all three suspects were still in custody in Hot Springs County.