La Pine couple jailed on fentanyl trafficking, weapons charges; raids on car, home turn up pills, sawed-off shotgun
Plastic bag of suspected pills found in car's hidden compartment, drug agents say
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A La Pine couple suspected of distributing fentanyl was arrested in a La Pine traffic stop Wednesday and a plastic bag of fentanyl pills was found in a hidden compartment, thanks to a drug-sniffing K-9, authorities said. A search of their home turned up more pills and two guns, including a sawed-off shotgun.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, working with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Redmond Police Department, wrapped up a long-term investigation with the arrest of Armando Nieves Cintora, 37, and Jessica Grace Lee, 30, Lieutenant Mike Landolt of the CODE Team said in a news release Thursday.
Deputies pulled over the pair’s white 2013 Subaru BRZ sports car around 10 a.m. near the intersection of Burgess Road and Arctic Drive, with Nieves Cintora at the wheel, Landolt said.
Redmond Police brought K-9 Sadie, who alerted to the odor presence of drugs in the car. Landolt said CODE Detectives applied for and received a search warrant that turned up the plastic bag of fentanyl pills in a hidden compartment. He declined to release any more info of what was found there, but said Nieves Cintora had more packaging material in his wallet.
CODE drug agents then applied for and were granted a search warrant for the couple’s home in the 52000 block of River Birch in La Pine. The team and deputies raided the home around 12:20 p.m. and found suspected fentanyl pills, packaging material, a scale, cash, a rifle and a sawed-off shotgun.
Nieves Cintora and Lee were taken to the county jail in Bend on drug possession and delivery/manufacturing, as well as unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, Landolt said, adding that more charges may be filed in the ongoing investigation.
Both suspects were arraigned Thursday afternoon on the three felony charges, court records show, but the public defender shortage means neither have yet been provided attorneys. They are scheduled to return to court in a week to see if attorneys have been assigned.
Landolt noted the CODE Team arrested Lee in August of last year, accused of possessing a large quantity of fentanyl. That case is still pending, and jail records show she’s being held on $100,000 bail, while Nieves Cintora is held on $50,000 bail.
