Teens charged with armed robbery in meth deal

Four teenagers were arrested and charged with armed robbery on Jan. 7 after allegedly taking money from an undercover Northwest Montana Drug Task Force agent.

Jacob Sauls, 18, of Eureka; Kellen McGarry, 19, of Whitefish; Riley Landwehr, 19 of Kalispell; and a 14-year-old girl from Kalispell were arrested in Evergreen after the 5:30 p.m. incident.

According to court documents, the undercover agent had responded to a Craigslist ad suggesting methamphetamine was for sale.

The agent agreed to meet the seller in a parking lot in Evergreen to buy meth, but during the transaction, one of the sellers indicated he had a gun and demanded the money.

The undercover agent provided the money, and the four teens attempted to flee in their vehicle. Nearby task force members stopped them.

“They didn’t get far at all before we apprehended them,” Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said. “They didn’t even make it out of the parking lot.”

A handgun was found in Sauls’ waistband, but no methamphetamine was found on the teens, so no drug charges are pending.