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A Minot woman has been sentenced to 20 months with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after entering an Alford Plea to a charge of fentanyl possession with intent to distribute.
Connie Lee Wheeler, 62, Minot, entered her change of plea to the Class B felony in North Central District Court on May 23. An Alford Plea is a type of guilty plea in which a defendant accepts a plea bargain while still maintaining innocence. Two Class A misdemeanor counts of false information to law enforcement and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed in accordance with the plea agreement.
The charge against Wheeler came after a Jan. 13 traffic stop by Three Affiliated Tribes Law Enforcement when a vehicle Wheeler was driving failed to maintain its lane. A Stanley Police officer was called as Wheeler was not an enrolled member of the MHA Nation and the driver's license and name she initially provided could not be verified. According to court documents, it was determined she had provided a false birth date. Wheeler was identified as having active warrants in Ward County.
The search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of drug paraphernalia with white powdery residue and a large amount of narcotics in a purse held by one of the passengers, who said Wheeler had given it to her. It was later determined the purse contained five grams of methamphetamine, four grams of cocaine and 22 fentanyl pills.
District Judge Todd Cresap sentenced Wheeler to first serve 20 months of a four-year sentence with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with three years of supervised probation upon release. Wheeler was given 129 days of credit for time served and was assessed $775 in court fines and fees. The sentence was concurrent with a prior disposition.