Anonymous tip leads to stop, arrest of Prineville drug trafficking suspect; pills seized

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – An anonymous tip led to the arrest of a Prineville man suspected of distributing fentanyl in the region, who was stopped on Highway 26 east of Prineville late Sunday night. A search of his rental car found a “commercial quantity” of counterfeit pills made of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, drug agents said.

The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team concluded a long-term investigation around 10:30 p.m. Sunday with the arrest of Dallas James Harper, 33, who has a history of drug-related arrests going back to 2015, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp said Tuesday.

Thanks to the anonymous tip, drug agents identified Harper as a fentanyl distributor in Crook County and elsewhere in Central Oregon, Vander Kamp said. The initial investigation found Harper was bringing the drugs from the Portland area into Crook County.

Based on the results of their investigation, including several surveillance operations, CODE Team detectives applied for and obtained a search warrant Sunday for Harper’s rental car, the sergeant said, leading to his stop by Crook County sheriff’s deputies and arrest later that day on Highway 26 near milepost 17.

Harper's passenger, who Vander Kamp said was his girlfriend, was cited on a drug possession charge and released at the scene.

Along with the pills, a loaded pistol was seized from Harper, who was taken to the Crook County Jail and lodged on several drug possession and attempt to distribute charges, as well as felon in possession of a weapon. A judge set Harper's bail at $100,000 at his arraignment Monday. He’s due back in court Friday on an expected formal grand jury indictment, court records show.