Eric Cortez-Lee Matthews, 32, Detroit, Mich., and Charda Cymone Grandberry, 35, Flint, Mich., are each charged in district court in Minot with Class B felony possession with intent to deliver fentanyl on Tuesday.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court, the Ward County Narcotics Task Force obtained a search warrant for Room 331 at Comfort Inn & Suites in Minot on Tuesday, where Grandberry and Matthews were staying. The search turned up a plastic baggie containing around 382 suspected fentanyl pressed pills that would have a combined street value of about $19,200; a small baggie containing approximately 3.7 grams of marijuana, $844 in cash, a marijuana pipe, and three cell phones. Their rental car was searched and turned up another cell phone, marijuana roaches and stems.

Both were scheduled to make initial appearances on the charges on Wednesday before Judge Doug Mattson.

A prosecutor recommended a $10,000 cash or corporate surety bond for Grandberry at her initial appearance, noting that Grandberry has an extensive criminal history including other drug trafficking offenses, from Ohio and Michigan. Grandberry burst out that “he” told police she had nothing to do with the drugs and the other offenses were a long time ago. Judge Mattson cut off the hearing and told her he would continue the hearing until today and would not be setting bond for her on Wednesday because she had spoken out of turn.

The deadly fentanyl has been implicated in numerous recent drug overdoses and overdose deaths in Minot and the surrounding area. Several people from the Detroit area have recently been charged in both state and federal courts in unrelated cases with dealing fentanyl in the Minot area and on Indian reservations in the state, sometimes conspiring with and recruiting local North Dakota drug users or dealers to distribute the fentanyl here.