An anonymous tip led to a sizable drug bust earlier this week in Mitchell.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at 9:40 a.m., The City of Mitchell Department of Public Safety Dispatch center received a 911 call from an unknown caller who requested that police respond immediately to a motel room, at a motel located on the 1700 block of S. Burr St. Police Officers responded to the motel and made contact with two occupants of the motel room. Officers observed the smell of marijuana coming from the room.
Members of The James Valley Drug Task Force later executed search warrants at the motel room, at a residence located at 807 N. Duff St. and at two separate commercial storage units in Mitchell, SD.
During the searches, Officers found drug paraphernalia, approx. 86 packages of marijuana weighing approx. 2.75 pounds, 27 containers of butane hash oil, 78 containers of individually packaged marijuana wax, 8 containers of THC capsules, 7 bags of THC food items, 2 THC inhalers,16 THC vape pen cartridges, a digital scale, empty plastic baggies and $3,492 cash. These items were all seized. The drugs had a street value of over $10,000.
It appeared that the drug items were purchased at a marijuana dispensary located in Colorado, and then transported to Mitchell, S.D. with the intent of selling the drugs.
As a result of this investigation, 41 year-old Ryan Michael Suing and 39 year-old Jennifer Renee Thaler were both arrested for the following offenses:
-Unauthorized Possession of a Schedule 1 or 2 Controlled Substance in violation of S.D.C.L. 22-42-5
-Unauthorized Possession of A Controlled Substance With Intent to Distribute in violation of S.D.C.L. 22-42-2
-Possession of More Than One Half Pound But Less Than One Pound of Marijuana
Ryan Suing and Jennifer Thaler were the two people who were found in the motel room and who lived at 807 N. Duff. St. No assault or emergency incident occurred at the motel room involving the 911 call that initiated this investigation. At the time of Suing and Thaler’s arrest, the exact weight of the drugs found in their possession was not known. Other charges are possible. This is an ongoing investigation.
The Hanson County Sheriff’s Office, The Mitchell Police Division, The Davison County Sheriff’s Office, The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and The South Dakota Highway Patrol were involved with the Investigation.
Unauthorized Possession of A Controlled Substance in Schedule 1 or 2 and Possession of More Than One Half Pound But Less Than One Pound of Marijuana are both Class 5 Felonies, with each punishable by 5 years imprisonment in the state penitentiary and/or a fine of $10,000 for each count. Unauthorized Possession of a Controlled Substance With Intent to Distribute is a Class 4 Felony punishable by 10 years imprisonment in the state penitentiary and/or a fine of $20,000.