Local Law Enforcement Thwart Drug Distribution During Lunch

Price City Police Department News Release

It all began on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, a little after 10:00 p.m.  Sgt. Stephen Regruto, and Officers Tyler Cressall and Nick Parker were trying to get a bite to eat at a local southwest Price fast food restaurant.  Officer Cressall observed Jonathan Croft, DOB 3-12-86, of Price drive up to a nearby establishment, attempting to conceal his presence from view.  Officers are allegedly aware that Mr. Croft is involved with the distribution of drugs in our local area.  A short time later, another car driven by Kylie Thompson, DOB 2-24-99, of Price, met up with Croft.

The officers left their meals and approached Croft and Thompson, who were allegedly engaged in a drug deal.  As the officers approached, they observed Thompson and Croft making furtive movements within Thompson’s vehicle.

Upon contact Croft was allegedly found to be in possession of $331 cash (despite being unemployed), drug paraphernalia, a baggie of methamphetamine, and several balls of heroin.  A further search of the car resulted in the discovery of more paraphernalia and heroin.  Both subjects allegedly agreed to talk with the officers.  Their stories did not coincide.

Ultimately, Croft was found to be in possession of 1.84 grams of heroin, 1.4 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.  Thompson was found to be in possession of .9 grams of heroin and paraphernalia.  The officers allegedly discovered information that indicated collaborative drug dealing activities by Croft and Thompson.

Croft was arrested and booked into the Carbon County Jail for felony Distribution of Heroin and Methamphetamine, and a misdemeanor charge for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Thompson was arrested and booked for felony Distribution of Heroin misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Both vehicles had to be impounded.

During the course of this investigation, enough information was obtained so that agents from the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force were contacted.  Based on information from both departments, a search warrant was applied for before the 7^th District Court, for Mr. Croft’s residence located at 468 S 100 W in Price.

On Wednesday morning about 2:30 a.m. on March 21, 2018, Price City Officers, Carbon Metro Drug Task Force Agents, and Carbon County Sheriff’s Deputies jointly served the warrant at this residence.  Officers discovered that Mr. Croft was presently in the process of moving, and most of his belongings were already gone.  During the search a sophisticated surveillance system was located and seized, items of paraphernalia, cutting agent (allegedly used by some drug dealers to mix with their product to stretch it out, thus making a better profit), ledgers with recorded transactions, and a personal use amount of marijuana were located.  Officer Cressall issued Croft a misdemeanor citation for Possession of Marijuana, but Croft was not booked into jail for this charge.

Meanwhile, during the search warrant application process, agents from the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force were keeping watch on the Croft residence. A little after 2:00 a.m. a Chevy Cavalier registered to a Utah County resident pulled into the driveway of Croft’s residence.  Marked units were called in and Price City Officer Nick Parker and Carbon County Deputy Isaiah Palmer closed in and contacted the occupants of the car, who would be identified as driver Michael Dennis Helmlinger, DOB 2-26-62 of Huntington, and passenger Andrea Kay Tanner, DOB 4-11-80 of Price.

Helmlinger and Tanner reportedly gave suspicious answers to the officers about how they came to possess the car.  Both said they did not know the name of the owner, yet Andrea stated the owner allowed her to take the car so she could do what she needed to get done.

Investigative information was known to the officers, that allegedly Tanner was a likely client of Crofts and Helmlinger’s and that Croft and Helmlinger were the respective Carbon and Emery counter parts of a local drug dealing operation. It was also discovered the Helmlinger had an active statewide warrant for his arrest.

During this initial information gathering time, Helmlinger kept repeatedly reaching his hands under his leg, despite Deputy Palmer instructing him not to do so.  Officer Parker and a task force agent then assisted.

Helmlinger then pulled out what appeared to be a Smith and Wesson MP Bodyguard .45 semi-automatic pistol, all the while telling the officers “It’s a fake, it’s a bb gun.”  Helmlinger never pointed the gun at the officers. (As a genuine public safety announcement, the Price City Police Department would caution any persons interacting with police, to never handle a gun in their possession, absent direct instruction from an officer.  Even “fake” guns appear so real that officers likely would not disregard a perceived threat.)

Helmlinger was immediately assisted into custody, handcuffed, and searched.  $1631 in cash, along with drug paraphernalia was located on his person.  Helmlinger acknowledged he is unemployed but stated he has a small business in Huntington as an explanation for why he had that much cash.  The gun was closely examined now and it was discovered to be a CO2 powered bb gun.

Immediately after this tense period, Tanner who was visibly upset by the proceedings acknowledged to officers she had heroin on her person along with drug paraphernalia.  This was produced by her and seized by the officers.

Following these developments, a search of the car ensued.  Ultimately a total of 1.98 grams of heroin, 11.42 grams of methamphetamine, ledgers and papers detailing drug dealing activities, and paraphernalia were located. A verbal dispute allegedly took place between Helmlinger and Tanner regarding responsibility for the seized items.

Both Helmlinger and Tanner were arrested and booked into the Carbon County Jail for felony charges of Distribution of Heroin and Methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. Tanner was also charged with personal use amount Possession of Heroin, and Helmlinger was charged with Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, as well as being booked for his warrant.

Based on the current information obtained from this part of the investigation, agents from the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force contacted agents at the Emery County Drug Task Force.  Emery County agents had allegedly been conducting an investigation into Helmlinger at his Huntington residence.  Another search warrant was applied for to the 7^th District Court.  The Emery County Drug Task Force and the Emery County Sheriff’s Office served the search warrant in the early morning hours of March 21^st.  See the Emery County Sheriff’s FaceBook page release for information on this part of the investigation.  https://www.facebook.com/Emery-County-Sheriffs-Office-412003952177522/

Relative to the arrests in Price, the Carbon County Attorney’s Office will review the Price City PD reports to determine the appropriate formal charges to be filed.

According to court records, Jonathan Croft has four previous arrests, none of them drug related.  Kylie Thompson has four previous arrests, all of them involving drug charges.  Michael Helmlinger has 7 previous arrests, all of them drug related.  Andrea Tanner has 5 previous arrests, most involving drug offenses.