Bend man, a ‘sizable’ meth trafficker, arrested in Hwy. 20 traffic stop, held on $1 million bail

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Bend man and suspected major methamphetamine dealer was arrested on numerous drug charges Monday in a traffic stop on Highway 20 west of Black Butte Ranch and is now being held at the Deschutes County Jail on $1 million bail, authorities said Tuesday.

Monday's arrest of Aaron Edward Jossart, 43, concluded a long-term investigation by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, in collaboration with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp said.

Detectives had identified Jossart from investigations as “a sizable methamphetamine trafficker in the Central Oregon area,” Vander Kamp said.

An extensive surveillance operation across several counties led to the traffic stop of a car in which Jossart was a passenger, the sergeant said.

During the stop, an Oregon State Police narcotics K-9 alerted to drugs in the car, which led to a search that turned up commercial quantities of meth, heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioids.

Jossart, a previously convicted felon with a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1995, also was in possession of brass knuckles at the time.

Jossart was booked into the county jail in Bend on drug possession, manufacture and distribution charges, as well as felon in possession of a dangerous weapon. Vander Kamp said additional charges are likely, and that Jossart’s bail was “enhanced” under ORS 475.900 due to the commercial quantities of drugs found in his possession.

Along with OSP and the sheriff’s office, detectives were assisted by Black Butte Ranch Police.