Judge moves meth case to district court (Colorado)

http://www.craigdailypress.com/section/frontpage_lead/storypr/20464

The Craig Daily Press


Judge moves meth case to district court
By Brandon Johansson

Thursday, February 2, 2006

A Moffat County judge on Wednesday said there was probable cause to charge Troy Neal with methamphetamine distribution and sent his case to 14th Judicial District Court.

Neal, 35, of Craig, was one of 15 people arrested in December in a historic meth sweep. Local law enforcement officers and agents from the Greater Routt and Moffat Narcotics Enforcement Team made the arrests after a six-month investigation.

Dusty Schulze, narcotics team supervisor, testified during a preliminary hearing Wednesday that in September, Neal sent a Craig woman to sell 3.7 grams of meth to a confidential informant.

Schulze testified that Neal met the informant at a Craig gas station to sell the informant an "eight ball" of meth.

When the informant, who was wearing a recording device, met Neal at the gas station, Neal told the informant he couldn't make the sale then, Schulze testified.

Neal told the informant to call him in an hour, Schulze said. The informant called and was scheduled to meet Neal in a parking lot near Victory Way and Pershing Street, Schulze said.

Before Neal arrived at the parking lot, he called the informant and said he was sending a woman to meet the informant, Schulze said.

Neal's lawyer, Erick Nord�--strom, argued there was not probable cause to charge Neal with distribution and possession of meth.

Police only had evidence that Neal sent the woman to meet the confidential informant, Nordstrom said. There was not evidence that Neal sent the woman to sell meth, he said.

Moffat County Judge Mary Lynne James said there was probable cause to charge Neal with possession and distribution of meth. The judge sent the case to District Court where Neal will be arraigned Feb. 21.

Amy Fitch, the prosecutor in the case, said a plea agreement that prosecutors discussed with Neal was no longer being offered because Neal chose not to waive his right to a preliminary hearing.

Brandon Johansson can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 213, or bjohansson@craigdailypress.com.