Man Drops Meth Inside a Missoula Casino, Gets Arrested

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On December 9, 2022, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Missoula Police Department officers were dispatched to a report of a person to be removed from a casino on West Broadway. The complainant was an employee who said that a male inside had dropped a bag of suspected methamphetamine on the ground, picked it back up, and then was acting suspiciously.  

When officers arrived, they met with the employee who called 911. The employee pointed the suspect male out for them. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold picks up the story. 

“Officers located the male as he tried to exit the casino when officers entered,” Arnold said. “Officers advised the male of the reason for the contact. The male provided a name but later in the investigation, the male told officers he had provided a false name and his actual name was Austin Janssen.” 

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According to court documents, Janssen told the officers that he had dropped marijuana in the casino, which was inconsistent with the observations of the employee who said the bag contained a crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine. Janssen also said he believed he had a felony warrant and did not want to go to jail. 

Based upon the foregoing interaction, officers placed Janssen under arrest for obstructing a peace officer. 

“Janssen was taken into custody and during a search incident to arrest, drugs were located on Janssen’s person,” Arnold said. “Officers conducted a test, which indicated presumptive positive for methamphetamine and a pill suspected to be pressed with fentanyl. This case is still under investigation with the Missoula Police Department Detective Division.” 

Janssen allegedly told officers that he had just gotten the meth from someone at a local hotel, but also said he did not want to talk more about that.  

Janssen is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs, obstructing a peace officer, and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.