Two men arrested after Blackfoot drug trafficking bust
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BLACKFOOT – Two men were arrested on Wednesday after police found fentanyl, heroin, meth, marijuana and guns in a Basalt home.
Jason Rardin, 52, was charged with felony drug trafficking of marijuana, felony possession of a controlled substance, three counts of felony possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell, two counts of felony manufacturing of a controlled substance and misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
Darren Weeks, 53, was charged with one count of felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
On Tuesday, Blackfoot Police officers executed a search warrant at Rardin’s home in Basalt. During the search, in a white cabinet, they found “drug paraphernalia, several dabb pens, a jar with marijuana roaches, 10 firearms, new baggies for packing material, 19 dispensary jars with marijuana and a sandwich bag full of (ground up) marijuana with a weight of 191.47 grams,” according to the police report.
Throughout the room, officers also found several bongs, a digital scale, “a mason jar with dab oil, two small baggies for packaging material,” a purple handgun, a container “half full with dab, several marijuana bonds and meth pipes with residue, a blue lunch bag with several ounces of marijuana ready to sell weighing 201.2 grams, a sandwich baggie with ground up marijuana weighing 114.7 grams and 14 hits of heroin.”
They also found 3 grams of powder fentanyl and 7.2 grams of crystal meth. In total, they found 507.37 grams of marijuana.
In the garage, they reportedly found filters and instruments to manufacture dabb, a portable grow house and two marijuana plants.
According to police, Weeks was occupying a room in Rardin’s home, where they found a metal box with several marijuana pipes, three spoons with meth residue, a marijuana bong with burnt marijuana and a glass meth pipe with meth residue, according to court records.
Both men were arrested and booked into the Bingham County Jail. Rardin’s bond was set to $100,000. He posted bail, but it is not clear when he was released.
Weeks’ bond was set to $30,000. He posted bail, but it is also unclear when he was released.
Both men are expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on July 27.
If convicted, Rardin could face up to life in prison, and Weeks could face up to 9 years in prison.
Though Rardin and Weeks have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
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