2 charged in drug raid on small bus in SW Bend

Complaints over the past two months of drug activity in a small white bus parked in several spots around southwest Bend led to a raid on the bus Wednesday and charges against a man and woman who were living in it, police said.

The Bend Police Department’s Intelligence-Led Policing team investigated the bus, which also was the subject of numerous parking complaints, Sgt. Mike Landolt said. Police had received more than 25 different complaints about the vehicle.

Based on evidence from the investigation, police got a search warrant to search the bus, which was served around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday while it was parked in the 1000 of Southwest Emkay Drive, Landolt said.

Two people, Travis Loeffel, 30, and Kaeli Kuehnel, 28, were found to be living on the bus, the sergeant said, and the investigation revealed people were going to the bus to use illegal drugs.

A search of the bus turned up drugs and drug paraphernalia, including heroin, methamphetamine, two prescription pills (one Naloxone) and MDMA (Ecstasy). Other drug-related items such as packaging, a scale and smoking devices were recovered as evidence, Landolt said.

Loeffel was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and booked on a felony charge of MDMA possession and misdemeanor charges of possessing heroin, methamphetamine and a Schedule III controlled substance (the illegal prescription pills. He also was charged with frequenting a place where drugs are used, kept or sold.

After a court appearance, Loeffel was conditionally released from jail Thursday evening.

Kuehnel was cited for heroin and meth possession and frequenting and given a date to appear in court, Landolt said.

“The Bend Police Department is focused on reducing drug activity and addressing safety concerns in neighborhoods and business areas in our community,” Landolt said in a news release.