Portland pair arrested in Sisters guns-drawn heroin bust

A Portland man identified as a “significant supplier of heroin” in Deschutes County was arrested late Monday night, along with a female companion, in a guns-drawn traffic stop of a stolen car in downtown Sisters, officials said.

Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team detectives, assisted by sheriff’s deputies, arrested Richard Mercer, 35, and Katherine Roberts, 30, also of Portland, around 11:45 p.m. during the high-risk traffic stop at U.S. Highway 20 West and North Pine Street, said Lt. Ken Mannix.

The detectives developed information through several recent investigations that revealed Mercer was a significant supplier of heroin to several individuals in Deschutes County, Mannix said.

While monitoring Mercer’s activities, they learned he was traveling to Deschutes County on Monday, leading surveillance teams to find him traveling into Sisters.

At that point, “due to Mercer’s criminal history and other information,” the high-risk traffic stop was performed on the Nissan Altima he was driving, Mannix said. He and Roberts were taken into custody without incident.

A search of the car by detectives found about 2 1/2 ounces of heroin, a scale, packaging material, a “large sum” of cash, a stolen gun hidden under the seat, and other evidence of heroin sales, distribution and manufacturing, the lieutenant said.

Officers also learned the car Mercer was driving was stolen.

The two were booked into the county jail in Bend, both facing charges of heroin possession, distribution and manufacturing, engaging in an illegal financial transaction, money laundering and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Mercer also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, first-degree theft and identity theft. He remained held late Tuesday on $35,000 bail, while Roberts was held on $20,000 bail, a jail officer said.