Pounds of meth kept out of community

Through the assistance of several law enforcement agencies, three pounds of methamphetamine were kept out of Thermopolis and surrounding communities on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Hot Springs County Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar said the sheriff’s office received information from a confidential informant, that 2.5 pounds of meth was coming through Thermopolis, at which point a half pound was supposed to be dropped here. “Of course, we didn’t want that to happen.”

Though one of the subjects was known, a second was not, Kraushaar said, and that they were coming from Las Vegas. There was also know knowledge as to whether they had weapons, but that the couple — later identified as Joe Charles Curtis Sr. of Taft, Calif. and Moranda Standingrock of Rygate, Mont. — would be in Thermopolis.

Due to snow, the couple got stuck on the other side of South Pass, allowing time to contact Fremont County law enforcement and let them know the situation. The information Hot Springs County received coincided with what Fremont County was seeing, and Fremont County officers got the vehicle pulled over with the assistance of Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Lander Police Department provided their drug detection dog to do a sniff of the vehicle. The couple refused consent to a search of the vehicle, Kraushaar said, and with the dog getting a positive identification it allowed for seizure of the vehicle. The couple was not arrested at this time, but when the meth was found in the vehicle, they were. Kraushaar added the entire system worked out well.

Kraushaar noted they knew there would be a half-pound dropped off with the informant from whom they received the initial information, but there could’ve been others who were receiving other amounts.

“I had no doubt that we could do it, that we could facilitate it happening, make the stop and get it done,” Kraushaar said. “I just didn’t want to take the chance that they’d drop in Riverton, Lander, Thermopolis. If we can keep that amount of dope out of here, that’s all the better.”

Curtis and Standingrock each face maximum sentences of up to 60 years in prison and $75,000 in fines.

Each is being held on a $100,000 cash bond and scheduled to appear in Lander Circuit Court on Nov. 12 at 2:30 p.m.