A 61-year-old man from Madras, Oregon, received a 70-month sentence in federal prison yesterday after being convicted for the possession of methamphetamine to distribute on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Wyatt Franklin Powell, the man at the center of the case, was also handed a subsequent three-year term of supervised release following his prison time.
The incident that led to Powell's apprehension occurred on October 28, 2023, when a Warm Springs Police Department officer stopped a vehicle after reports of erratic driving. During the traffic stop, the officer detected a smell indicative of narcotics usage. Joining the stop, a second officer, along with a drug detection dog, confirmed the presence of narcotics, leading to the discovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, a BB gun, drug paraphernalia, and a digital scale in Powell's vehicle, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Powell was formally charged by criminal information with one count of methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute on February 22. He entered a guilty plea on July 2 of the same year. The following investigation involved the FBI and Warm Springs Police Department and was overseen by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Paaso for the District of Oregon.