Mandan man faces charges in case allegedly involving pounds of meth, thousands of suspected fentanyl pills
A Mandan man who was the subject of a drug trafficking investigation that began in earnest six months ago and included recent search warrants being executed on two residences and three vehicles now faces multiple felony charges.
Some of the information collected by authorities reached back nearly seven years, in a case they say involved large amounts of meth and fentanyl pills as well as cocaine. Two women also face charges.
Kelvin Blue, 42, faces three separate charges related to possession with intent to manufacture or distribute meth, fentanyl and cocaine. He also faces a pair of charges accusing him of conspiring to deliver meth and fentanyl. Each possession with intent to manufacture or distribute charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Each charge related to conspiracy to deliver controlled substances carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
Blue could enter pleas at a Dec. 9 hearing. The defense attorney indicated in court records did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment Monday.
A judge on Monday set Blue's bond at $100,000 cash. That amount is less than the $150,000 cash bond requested by Assistant Morton County State's Attorney John Klein. Klein's request was based on the "significant amount" of illegal drugs seized during execution of search warrants by members of the Metro Area Narcotics Task Force on Oct. 2. Klein also referenced Blue's previous history of out-of-state travel that Klein said was indicative of alleged drug trafficking.
Search warrants
Task Force officers searched Blue's Mandan apartment and another address as well as three vehicles reportedly registered to him on Oct. 2, after developing intelligence over a period beginning as far back as January 2018, according to an affidavit.
During the October warrant executions, officers discovered nearly 15 pounds of meth inside the trunk of an Infiniti M45 registered to Blue, according to an affidavit. They also discovered a small safe that contained 233 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of suspected fentanyl pills and 115 grams of meth, which is less than a pound, the document said.
Previous reporting regarding suspected fentanyl pills indicates a single pill usually weighs one-tenth of a gram, making the suspected fentanyl pills found in the vehicle equate to roughly 160 pills.
Officers also searched a Cadillac Deville and discovered roughly 4,200 suspected fentanyl pills as well as documents tying the vehicle to Blue, the affidavit states.
Both vehicles were inside a garage at an apartment complex that Blue reportedly lived in on Shoal Loop drive in Mandan. A search of that apartment revealed a money transfer slip and a number of small plastic bags commonly used in drug distribution, according to the affidavit.
The third vehicle identified in the search warrants, a Chevrolet Tahoe, was reportedly seen leaving the apartment complex prior to officers executing their searches. The vehicle was reportedly driven by a woman identified as Anterica Gray, and the affidavit states officers stopped the vehicle but failed to find any contraband. Gray, 34, reportedly admitted living with Blue at the residence on Shoal Loop but denied any knowledge of drug trafficking. She was not detained, but court documents indicate she has since been charged with one count of conspiracy to deliver meth.
As of Monday afternoon, Gray was at large and there was a warrant for her arrest. The charge against her carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
The Oct. 2 search also saw officers go to a mobile home on Third Street Southwest in Mandan that was the home of Brooke Kahl, also known as Brooke Robbins. Officers who conducted surveillance prior to Oct. 2 saw vehicles registered to Blue parked outside on more than one occasion, according to the affidavit. Task force officers while executing a search warrant reportedly discovered nearly 1 1⁄4 pounds of meth, meth paraphernalia and packaging materials. The affidavit states investigators also found roughly a gram of cocaine, a digital scale with drug residue on it and more than $2,300 in cash.
Kahl was home at the time of the search and allegedly told investigators she sold meth on Blue's behalf and would transfer funds to him, the affidavit states. She allegedly admitted selling an estimated 20 pounds of meth received from Blue since May and identified Gray as the person who would deliver drugs while picking up money gained from selling drugs. Court records as of Monday did not indicate any charges filed against Kahl in relation to the investigation.
Information from 2018 tied Blue to alleged drug trafficking in the Williston area, according to the affidavit.
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation in January 2021 had information that Blue was transporting narcotics inside custom-made compartments concealed in commercial vehicles, and law enforcement in Florida in December 2022 spotted a pickup registered to Blue traveling on a highway in that state, according to the affidavit.
In all, law enforcement linked Blue to more than half a dozen vehicles during their investigation, the affidavit said. Officers also reportedly gained information from a number of confidential informants who implicated Blue as being involved in drug trafficking, using a number of locations in and around Bismarck-Mandan, including motel rooms and other apartments, the document said.
In a September search of one Bismarck motel room during the investigation into Blue, investigators found an undisclosed number of suspected fentanyl pills, several grams of meth and an undisclosed amount of U.S. currency, according to the affidavit. Officers also encountered a woman identified as Ronda Secrease in the company of a confidential informant. Secrease is reportedly Blue's sister, and the informant reportedly identified Blue as the source of fentanyl pills being sold, the affidavit said.
Secrease is charged with one felony count of conspiracy to deliver fentanyl and two misdemeanor counts of possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia. She has pleaded not guilty and is in custody on a $10,000 cash bond awaiting trial set to begin on Jan. 2.
During Monday's bond hearing Klein said Blue is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Wyoming. The affidavit states Blue was arrested there on Oct. 1 after he allegedly fled from officers before crashing a BMW coupe. A search of that vehicle by Wyoming Highway Patrol officers allegedly uncovered 49 grams of suspected fentanyl pills, 23 grams of fentanyl powder, 1 pound of marijuana, money transfer receipts and two cellphones.
Reach Brad Nygaard at 701-250-8260 or
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