How a Routine Vehicle Search Led to Drug Charges in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 12:10 p.m. on November 19, 2025, a Missoula Police Department Officer received a call from adult probation and parole requesting assistance with a vehicle search. The probation officer reported discovering drug paraphernalia while searching a Jeep Renegade belonging to a woman. The woman was incarcerated at that time, and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Johnny Shipp, had permission to drive the vehicle.  

The officer arrived on scene and observed several items that the probation officer had located in a green backpack from the rear passenger side seat of the Jeep. These included:

• Two credit cards in Shipp’s name
• a hat known to be regularly worn by Shipp
• a bag of unused syringes
• 2 syringes with ends broken off
• a used syringe
• several syringe end caps
• sterile water
• alcohol prep pads
• a clear baggie containing a white crystalline substance
• a smaller baggie with white powdery residue
• a round, black bowl-like item with white powdery residue on it
• a pink rubber bag that contained several unused syringes
• 3 sterile water pods
• a syringe containing approximately 32 mL of a white crystalline substance

The officer recognized from her training and experience that the white crystalline substance was consistent with methamphetamine and that the other above-described items were forms of drug paraphernalia commonly used in conjunction with methamphetamine and other drugs.  

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The probation officer also believed the substance to be methamphetamine and stated that Shipp had admitted to using methamphetamine the prior night. The officer spoke with Shipp, who stated that the crystalline substance was most likely methamphetamine, that the green backpack belonged to him, and that he had used methamphetamine the previous night. The officer later tested the suspected methamphetamine with a TruNarc scan, which showed the presence of methamphetamine. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

Shipp was arrested and transported to the Missoula County Detention Facility. He is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $35,000. 

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