Mandan man pleads not guilty to trafficking fentanyl

A Mandan man accused of trafficking fentanyl after allegedly being caught in May with about 2,000 suspected fentanyl pills during a traffic stop pleaded not guilty, court documents showed Monday.

Noah Abraham, 26, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. He remains in custody at the Burleigh Morton Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond.

Officers with the Metro Area Narcotics Task Force stopped Abraham's vehicle on Interstate 94, about 6 miles east of Bismarck, on May 23. A search warrant had been issued for Abraham in connection to drug trafficking, according to an affidavit. He was the only occupant inside the vehicle.

Abraham allegedly admitted to trafficking drugs and told officers where they were located inside the vehicle, according to the affidavit. Investigators allegedly discovered two bags each containing about 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills. The estimated street value of the drugs was between $30,000 and $60,000, depending on the sale price of each individual pill.

Pills similar to those seized routinely weigh one-tenth of a gram, making the total weight of pills discovered roughly 200 grams.

Officers didn't find evidence to suggest Abraham was using the drugs, the affidavit stated.

Abraham's case is scheduled for trial on Sept. 17.

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