Homeless man catching flight in Idaho Falls arrested for meth

UPDATE

Kurt Karner pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and was placed on three years of probation. He was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. He was also given a withheld judgment, meaning if he is successful on probation, the conviction could be removed from his record.

ORIGINAL STORY

IDAHO FALLS — Police say a homeless man from California catching a flight at the Idaho Falls Regional airport tried bringing methamphetamine onto the airplane.

Police reports show around 11 a.m. on Thursday, the Idaho Falls Police Department received a call from the Transporation Security Administration that Kurt David Karner, 57, was trying to board a flight with meth. Karner did not catch the flight to California and is now charged with felony possession of meth.

Transportation Security Officers told police Karner was going through the full-body scanner when they noticed he held something in his hand. TSA asked Karner to give them the item, which turned out to be money and a small baggie of a white crystal substance.

Idaho Falls police used a field kit to test the substance and it was .85 grams of meth, according to court documents.

Karner would not tell police where he bought the drugs but said it was not locally. He also told police he is homeless in California and only came to Idaho Falls to attend a funeral.

Although Karner is accused of a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Karner was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on $25,000 bail, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 22.