Drug agents uncover arsenal in Columbia Falls bust
A local man is facing seven felony drug charges after a search of his Columbia Falls home and his shop in Martin City on June 7 turned up drugs, firearms, ammunition and drug-sales related equipment.
Joshua Lewis, 34, who has been convicted of felony drug charges twice in the past, was the subject of a month-long investigation by the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force.
He faces from one year to life for each of three counts relating to sales of cocaine to a confidential informant, and up to 20 years for each of four counts of possession with intent to distribute relating to cocaine, hashish, marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms found in his Columbia Falls home.
According to court documents, Task Force agents received a tip about Lewis in September 2009. While watching his home on May 5, agents stopped and searched a "known individual" who had visited Lewis and found one ounce of cocaine in his possession.
The man, who said he owed Lewis $1,760, agreed to become a confidential informant and was fitted with a recording and transmitting device. Five days later, the man allegedly purchased an eighth-ounce of cocaine from Lewis for $200.
On May 11, Task Force agents attached a tracking device to the red Mustang used by Lewis but registered to his wife. Over several days, they tracked Lewis to Flathead Valley Community College, where he was a student, to a residence on Canyon Drive, in Hungry Horse, and to Granite Peak Stoneworks, Lewis' shop on Central Avenue, in Martin City.
The Task Force was familiar with the Hungry Horse residence - one of its agents had purchased an eighth-ounce of cocaine and some mushrooms from that location in April. On May 26, the agents searched the Martin City shop after the confidential informant lured Lewis back to his Columbia Falls home by arranging a drug purchase.
Lewis was arrested as he drove through the Canyon and was initially charged with violating his probation. Task Force agents then searched Lewis' Columbia Falls residence while his wife and five juvenile children were present.
Agents uncovered a number of safes and compartments hidden inside the residence's walls. They also found significant quantities of various drugs, a money counter, several scales, a counterfeit bill detector, $4,696 in cash and an arsenal of guns, magazines, speed-loaders and ammunition, including a Taurus .357 magnum pistol, a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver, a gold-colored .32-caliber derringer, a Sig Sauer P238 handgun, a Glock .45-caliber handgun, a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun, a Highpoint JCP .40-caliber handgun, a Beretta Tomcat .32-caliber handgun and a 9 mm Cobray M11 handgun. They also found four bullet-proof vests.
After telling her she was not under arrest and free to go, Lewis' wife of three years told agents some of the guns were hers, but she said she was surprised to hear about the number of guns and quantities of drugs in the house because of "so much junk downstairs." She said she thought her husband's visitors came to use his computer.
Lewis told agents he couldn't cooperate "because of the ramifications to his children," and he insisted the guns were all legal while acknowledging that, as a convict, he wasn't allowed to possess guns. This wasn't his first felony drug arrest.
Lewis was sentenced by Flathead County District Court Judge Ted Lympus in November 1999 to eight years in prison, all suspended, after he pleaded guilty to felony possession of dangerous drugs with intent to sell. A confidential informant wearing a transmitter had paid Lewis $100 for marijuana during an illegal transaction at the Mountain Mall. Agents uncovered 5 1/2 pounds at Lewis' residence in Whitefish.
Following several probation violations, including possession of drug paraphernalia, large knives, martial arts weapons and a black powder pistol, Lewis was re-sentenced by District Court Judge Stewart Stadler on Aug. 1, 2005, to eight years, with six suspended.
Lewis was arrested again a month later after a Sept. 6 search of his Martin City shop uncovered 2 1/2 methadone pills, six hydrocone pills, one morphine pill and some mushrooms. Charged with four counts of felony drug possession, he was sentenced by Lympus to five years, concurrent with the earlier sentence.
In both cases, Stadler and Lympus recommended Lewis be placed with the state's Connections Correction program.