Columbia Falls man faces drug charges

A Columbia Falls man is facing drug-related charges following his arrest in August. Jasper Howell, 39, was charged Aug. 31 with criminal possession with intent to sell, a felony, after allegedly being found in possession of six individual baggies of methamphetamine.

According to Flathead County District Court documents, an employee of Celtic Motors in Kalispell contacted Flathead County Sheriff’s Office to report a person sleeping in a vehicle at the dealership. A Flathead County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived and observed a male sleeping in the driver’s seat of a Volvo, allegedly holding a glass meth pipe in his left hand and a lighter in his right. The officer woke the male, who was identified as Jasper Howell. Howell stated that he rode his bike to the car lot and checked cars until finding one that was unlocked to sleep in.

Howell was taken into custody. Upon emptying his pockets, officers found cash and two jewel baggies containing a white substance. Each weighed exactly one gram.

Upon inventory of Howell’s backpack, officers located a number of unused jewel baggies, tin foil, a digital scale, a credit card belonging to a woman, a butane torch, and four baggies with a total of 16.4 grams of the white substance.

Howell claimed that the substance was MSM, which would be heated up then cooled to resemble meth.

The substance was tested and was presumptive positive as methamphetamiine. It was sent to the state crime lab for confirmation.

An arraignment date for Howell has been set for Sept. 22. He is being held in the county jail.