Hungry Horse man sentenced for drug possession

A Hungry Horse man was given a five-year deferred sentence for possession of methamphetamine. Flathead County District Court Judge Stewart Stadler also ordered Jason Elliot to pay a $1,000 fine, $800 in public defenders fees, a $160 surcharge fee and supervision fees while on probation.

According to court documents, Elliot was stopped and taken into custody by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper on Aug. 29, 2011. The next day, a search warrant was issued for Elliot’s impounded vehicle. The trooper found drug paraphernalia, a number of pills, containers with suspected methamphetamine and a container with suspected heroin.

The suspected meth and heroin field-tested positive, and the evidence was sent to the Montana Crime Lab. Elliot was initially charged with three felony drug charges for possession of meth, heroin and OxyContin, the trade name for a synthetic opiate called oxycodone. Each charge carried a maximum penalty of five years and a $50,000 fine.