Spokane man caught with hundreds of fentanyl pills

BONNERS FERRY — A Spokane man is facing multiple drug charges after he was found in possession of approximately 600 fentanyl pills and other substances.

Christory A.L. Burdick, 37, is being charged with one count of drug possession with the intent to deliver, a felony; one count of possession of a controlled substance, a felony; and a misdemeanor count of possession of paraphernalia.

Boundary County Sheriff’s Office Detective Caleb Watts said he was advised around 3 p.m. on June 16, by Bonners Ferry Police Officer Malorie Stippich that an occupied vehicle with Washington plates was parked in an unauthorized parking space next to the bushes at the tennis courts off Riverside Street in Bonners Ferry.

Watts said he was advised it appeared as if the occupant was waiting for someone. After law enforcement parked behind the vehicle in an unmarked patrol vehicle, Watts said it appeared as if the driver pushed something down near the center console. The driver was identified as Burdick and his wife was in the passenger seat.

He told law enforcement that he was eating lunch and was waiting for a wire transfer. He explained they had come up to Bonners Ferry to gamble at the casino. They realized they only had $40 and asked a friend to wire money to get home. They then spent the $40 at the casino.

Watts wrote in the affidavit that wiring money is an avenue that drug dealers use for narcotics sales without having to transfer funds on the street and leaving no record if caught by law enforcement.

Watts wrote in the affidavit that he thought it was suspicious that Burdick would leave the air conditioned casino to wait in a car by the tennis courts.

Burdick told law enforcement that he did not have any drugs, according to court records. However, when Border Patrol Agent David Grainger came with his drug K-9, the K-9 alerted there was something at the back passenger window.

Burdick exited the car vehicle and Watts saw tinfoil and a blue pill which he recognized to be a Mexi-pill or fentanyl, court documents said. During the search, law enforcement was able to open the locked glove box and found approximately 600 fentanyl pills, suboxone, patches, white powder, multiple syringes and baggies with crystal substance.

Grainger found multiple clean baggies in the back seat which matched those filled with the white powder. He also found syringes and a bottle of lidocaine epinephrine.

Stippich found an unlabeled prescription bottle filled with pills, a smoking pipe and tooter. The white powder tested positive for methamphetamine.

Burdick was placed under arrest for trafficking fentanyl and being in possession of meth.

Court documents said Burdick began to sweat heavily and acted as if he was passing out. Paramedics were called and during the paramedic treatment Burdick said he had taken two hits of fentanyl about an hour prior.

He was transferred to the BCSO jail and his wife was released without charges. Bond was set for $40,000. Burdick posted bond on June 20 and waived right of extradition.

On July 11, a preliminary hearing was scheduled, but Burdick did not show. The state added enhancement for sentencing and the court granted the complaint.

On July 15, the preliminary hearing was rescheduled. Burdick was on his way from Spokane, but was misinformed that it would only take him 90 minutes to get to Bonners Ferry and so he pulled over onto the side of the road to attend the preliminary hearing remotely.

Defense Attorney Linda Payne requested for a continuance. Deputy Prosecutor Tevis Hull agreed given that he received more information on the case and needed to inform Payne.

Judge Debra Heise reminded Burdick to leave earlier to make the 1:30 p.m. hearing. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 29 before Judge Justin Julian.

County Prosecutor Andrakay Pluid told the Bonners Ferry Herald that this is the largest amount of fentanyl recovered from a single investigation since she became the County Prosecutor in January 2021.

“Fentanyl is a relatively new trend, thus, I believe it is the largest amount we have recovered from a single investigation in Boundary County to date,” she wrote in an email.

On average, Pluid said the county is not seeing a significant quantity increase in individual drug arrests, with the majority being personal use amounts. However, there has been a slight uptick in multiple types of drugs being recovered from single investigations such as a defendant being in possession of meth, fentanyl and heroin versus just one drug.