On August 29, 2022, a Missoula Police Department officer was asked to assist a Probation Officer with a residence check on 30-year-old Ronnie Linton, who is on probation. The probation officer requested help after finding a loaded 9mm handgun, suspected methamphetamine, and paraphernalia inside Linton’s apartment.  

The probation officer originally entered Linton’s apartment with the assistance of Linton’s boyfriend. Once inside, the probation officer observed the 9mm on a shelf, and the drugs and paraphernalia on a coffee table in the living room. Police Public Information Officer Lydia Arnold picks up the story.  

“Missoula Police officers collected the drugs, paraphernalia, and the handgun,” Arnold said. “Linton was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center on charges of possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia. The suspected drugs were tested and showed a presumptive positive to be methamphetamine. Additional suspected drugs were sent to the state crime lab for testing. This case is still under investigation with the Missoula Police Detective Division.”  

Upon entering the apartment, the MPD officer located two empty syringes, two blue straws, two hollow glass tubes, three plastic baggies containing a white crystalline substance, and a fourth baggie containing small brown flakes.  

Linton admitted to using methamphetamine and fentanyl earlier that morning. The officer conducted a TruNarc scan on the white crystalline substance in the three baggies. It returned presumptively positive for methamphetamine.  

He also conducted a NIK test on the baggie containing the brown flakes. It also appeared to return presumptively positive for methamphetamine. Court documents indicate the total product weight of methamphetamine is approximately 4.34 grams.  

Linton is currently being charged with one count of felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.  

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