The Bethel Police Department (BPD) said that it seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cash following an Aug. 6 traffic stop.
According to a charging document filed in Bethel Superior Court, 32-year-old Jonnelle Laraux was initially pulled over for having improperly displayed and expired tags. During the traffic stop, she allegedly told police her name was Kristy Nick and was arrested after the traffic stop for driving with an expired license under the name Kristy Nick. But police say that Laraux had given officers a false name, which was discovered when she was taken to the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center.
The charging document says that Laraux consented to a search of the vehicle, and that the department’s drug detection dog, K-9 Officer Zeus, was called to the scene alongside his handler after an officer found a digital scale with a white powdery substance.
According to a BPD Facebook post, after Zeus “alerted on the vehicle,” police obtained a search warrant for the car. The post says that Zeus ultimately led officers to a small amount of methamphetamine, more than 5 grams of fentanyl, and a “substantial” amount of cash contained in the vehicle.
Laraux has been charged with a misdemeanor for providing false information and two felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance.
Zeus is a German shepherd that joined the force in September 2023. This is the first public mention of the department’s new K-9 unit being used in the course of an arrest or investigation.
