Big C.O. drug ring broken up; 3 arrests, Bend woman on the run, CODE Team says

SUNRIVER, Ore. (KTVZ) – Four people – one a fugitive – face felony drug charges after Central Oregon drug agents broke up a trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin throughout the region, state and elsewhere, officials said Wednesday.

 The one local suspect, Krista Vela, 37, of Bend, has warrants out for her arrest.

The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team began actively investigating the drug ring several months ago, Lt. Ken Mannix said.

An investigation found that Krista Vella, 37, of Bend, had been making frequent trips out of the area, some to Mexico, to acquire large quantities of meth and heroin, then return and sell them for profit, Mannix said.

Vela had a network of people assigned to different roles in the complex organization, with a defined command-and-control structure that was heavily involved transport and distribution of the drugs, he said.

Vela also had been previously arrested by the CODE team on drug trafficking charges and also faces federal charges in Montana for possessing about six pounds of meth in October.

During the week of Nov. 3, CODE Team detectives, assisted by Bend and Redmond police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, monitored Vela’s activities after the latest return from out of state, Mannix said. They were able to identify several associates, vehicles, locations and other evidence.

Around 1:40 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, CODE Team detectives contacted and detained Jeral Johns, 43, of Rainier, and Stormy Wooldridge, 25, of Astoria, in a parking lot on Center Drive in Sunriver, Mannix said. They were loading three pieces of luggage into a parked vehicle at the time.

Lonny Baker, 31, of Otis, Oregon, was contacted and detained around the same time, sitting in his vehicle in another parking lot, about a mile away. Mannix said he was acting as a lookout for the other pair.

CODE Team detectives got a search warrant for different locations identified in the case, as well as the luggage and other personal items.

Mannix said the luggage held about 36 pounds of meth, about six pounds of heroin, cash, scales, packaging material and other drug-sales evidence. A raid on another vehicle turned up a commercial quantity of meth, a concealed handgun, scales, packaging material and other evidence.

Vela’s 2017 Audi Q7 was seized for civil forfeiture, based on its alleged use during her crimes.

Johns, Baker and Wooldridge were lodged at the county jail on felony drug charges, while Johns and Baker also were charged with felon in possession of a firearm and Baker on a fugitive warrant. Vela also faces the drug charges, and a warrant is out for her arrest. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Deschutes County dispatchers at 541-693-6911.