Mark Vladimir Asanidze, 25, Minot, was sentenced on Tuesday to 360 days in jail, with a requirement that he serve 90 days, and three years of supervised probation. Asanidze will receive credit for 28 days already served in jail, plus four days of time off for good behavior. He must also pay court costs and undergo a chemical dependency evaluation. If he successfully completes probation, the Class B felony charge will be reduced to a Class A misdemeanor.

During the sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Asanidze said he made the mistake of continuing to live with his roommate. Asanidze had met the other man in a bar after he got out of the Air Force in January and the roommate let Asanidze live at the residence for free while Asanidze was looking for work. The drugs supposedly belonged to the roommate. Ward County Deputy State’s Attorney Todd Schwarz told Judge Doug Mattson that he regards Asanidze more as a “drug mule” than a “drug dealer.” Asanidze’s defense attorney, Andrew Schultz, told Mattson that the roommate is believed to be in Chicago. Court records show that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the roommate, Rogelio Manuel Barrera, on a Class A misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and a Class B misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court, police had the Minot residence under surveillance. On April 9, Police detained Asanidze in the parking lot when he tried to get into his car and a police dog alerted. Police found a computer bag containing two plastic baggies with a combined four ounces of cocaine, along with multiple other clean plastic baggies, some plastic baggies with cocaine residue, and two digital scales with cocaine residue in Asanidze’s car. They also found a baggie with cocaine in the bedroom closet belonging to Asanidze’s roommate. In Asanidze’s bedroom, authorities found a spoon with cocaine residue and two playing cards with cocaine residue.

Under the terms of a plea deal, the state dismissed a Class C felony possession of drug paraphernalia charge, a Class A misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia charge, and a Class B misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia charge against Asanidze