Pocatello man arrested for fentanyl possession after officers find him passed out in a running car

POCATELLO — A man found unconscious in a running car was arrested after officers allegedly discovered him to be in possession of drugs, paraphernalia and a handgun.

Adam Scott Waggoner, 40, has been charged with two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance, and two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to court records.

Officers from the Pocatello Police Department were dispatched to the 3500 block of Hawthorne Road around 12:30 a.m. Monday for a welfare check. A 911 caller had reported seeing two people they believed to be unconscious in a parked car.

When officers arrived, they found a black SUV parked in the area. According to an affidavit of probable cause, the SUV was running but did not have its headlights on and was not displaying any license plates.

As officers approached the SUV, they noted a woman in the driver’s seat and a man, later identified as Waggoner, in the passenger seat. Both appeared to be unconscious.

When officers knocked on the driver’s side window of the SUV, both Waggoner and the woman awoke. Officers described Waggoner as frantic, saying he was seen “tossing items around” in the affidavit.

One of the items officers saw him toss was a bag containing blue pills they recognized to be fentanyl pills — known as “dirty 30s.”

Officers spoke with Waggoner, who allegedly admitted to them that the pills he was holding when they arrived were dirty 30s. He told officers that he had put the bag of pills in a cereal box. He also told officers that the woman he was with did not have any knowledge of any drugs or paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Officers found the bag of pills while searching the car. They also found suspected methamphetamine, a bag containing seven unidentified orange pills, a pill bottle containing suspected methylphenidate hydrochloride — a type of ADHD medication — a .45 caliber Ruger and $725 in cash. Paraphernalia discovered included syringes.

Asked about the other suspected drugs, Waggoner apparently told officers that the crystal substance was meth.

All drugs were sent to the Idaho State Police Forensics Lab for analysis.

Waggoner was arrested and booked at Bannock County Jail. The woman was not arrested or charged.

Although Waggoner has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty on all counts, Waggoner would face up to life in prison and as much as $80,000 in fines.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Tuesday.