Missoula Police Catch Man on Probation Selling Meth, Heroin, and Pills

At around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Missoula Police officers located a vehicle known to be associated with 36-year-old Kale LaChance at Mullan Station located at 3420 Mullan Road. The officers were aware from a prior investigation a few days earlier, that LaChance was suspected of involvement in drug distribution activity. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold explains.

“Officers observed behavior consistent with a drug deal when they arrived on scene and continued to watch the happenings for a few minutes,” Arnold said. “When the vehicle left the area, the officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, which had been reported to police as suspicious. Officers made contact with the driver, Kale Lachance. They observed indicators of drug activity occurring. Lachance is currently on probation. Officers made contact with probation and parole.”

A probation officer requested a probation search of LaChance’s vehicle.

“During the search, numerous items consistent with drug distribution and drug paraphernalia were located,” Arnold said. “Officers also located substances consistent with methamphetamine and heroin. This case is ongoing as other items were located, which indicate additional crimes have been committed. LaChance was the lone occupant in the vehicle and he is being held at the Missoula County Jail on criminal possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to distribute.”

Court documents indicate a search of LaChance’s vehicle located the following:

• Inside a cigarette container was a Ziploc style plastic bag with a dark substance consistent with heroin.
• On the front passenger seat was a small black safe. The officer opened the safe utilizing an MPD halligan and located a Ziploc style plastic bag with a white crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine, a Ziploc style plastic bag full of blue pills with the markings “M 30”, a large amount of unused Ziploc style plastic bags (later counted as 142 bags), and six round rubber containers.
• Two round rubber containers with a dark substance consistent with heroin.
• Four blue pills inside a clear pill capsule with the markings “M 30”.
• Two dark blue pills wrapped in plastic with the marking “M 15”.
• Half a blue pill inside a Ziplock style plastic bag.
• White powdery substance wrapped in plastic with the end melted together.
• White powdery substance inside a Ziploc style plastic bag.
• Replica Sig Sauer P365 BB gun.
• Four butane style lighters.
• Two canisters of butane fuel.
• Two digital scales.
• Sprite Hide-a-Can.
• Four round rubber containers with residue.
• Five glass pipes.
• Metal spoon.
• Blue tourniquet.
• Red plastic container with Band-Aids, tin foil, alcohol swabs.
• Two vials of Narcan and a syringe.
• Checks belonging to six individuals and businesses other than LaChance.
• Credit/Debit cards belonging to four individuals other than LaChance.
• Identification belonging to three individuals other than LaChance.

At the jail, a routine inventory search of LaChance located $410.00 cash. During the search of LaChance’s vehicle, officers located a total of 104.5 pills, 22.17 grams of heroin, and 28.29 grams of meth.

An officer calculates the total estimated street value of the drugs located in Lachance’s vehicle as approximately $9,892. The methamphetamine is valued at approximately $2,263, the heroin is valued at approximately $4,434, and the pills are valued at approximately $3,195.

LaChance was charged with three counts of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, and felony unlawful use or possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture.