Orofino man gets 25 years for meth trafficking
By David Johnson Friday, April 13, 2007
OROFINO - The sentencing of Michael C. Springs earlier this week to 25 years in prison has underscored the value of community involvement in curbing regional drug trafficking, Clearwater County officials said Thursday.
Springs, 35, was sentenced by 2nd District Judge John Bradbury of Grangeville on two felony counts of trafficking in methamphetamine and illegal firearm possession. Four other counts, including one of being an habitual felon, were dropped as a result of a plea agreement, according to court records.
"He's an incredibly brilliant man," Clearwater County Prosecutor Clayne Tyler said of Springs, "but he has a long criminal history, including narcotics and assault convictions."
Springs, a former Lewis-Clark State College honor student, remains in the Clearwater County Jail here pending transfer to the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise. He declined a Lewiston Tribune request for an interview.
"It's the biggest drug sentence I've seen in recent years," said Sgt. Mitch Jared of the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office. "Definitely it was a good hit for us."
Springs, according to court records, has been convicted in New York on a weapons charge and in California on drug charges. In addition, two felony counts for aggravated assault are pending in Nez Perce County, according to records.
He was arrested in Orofino Dec. 22, 2006, according to records, and found with more than 37 grams of methamphetamine, 8 grams of marijuana, $1,070 in cash, drug paraphernalia and a fully loaded and cocked Llama .380 caliber handgun.
Jared said the arrest occurred because narcotics Detective Guy Cordle, a deputy sheriff, had received information from two informants. In addition, members of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force had information Springs recently made a trip to California and returned in a vehicle with California license plates, according to records.
"Without little pieces of information coming from people, it would tie our hands in a lot of ways," Jared said.
Cordle, in a probable cause affidavit, wrote one informant had alerted him Springs "was recently back in the Orofino area and that he was dealing methamphetamine." A second informant, according to the affidavit, told Cordle Springs was at an apartment in Orofino.
"I was aware that Springs had a lengthy criminal history including violent crimes against persons and possession of illegal drugs," Cordle wrote in the affidavit.
Cordle and Sgt. Rick Miller, according to the affidavit, went to the apartment and waited until Springs came out. "I stepped out of my vehicle and ordered Springs to stop and place his hands on his head," Cordle wrote. "Springs dropped the backpack and cell phone he was carrying and turned as if to run."
Cordle wrote that he yelled at Springs to stop and Springs "turned back towards me and reached towards his belt line with both hands as if to draw a weapon." Cordle wrote he drew his duty sidearm and he and Miller completed the arrest.
Bradbury, at sentencing, told Springs his criminal record and actions made him a "threat to society" and "carrying a loaded, cocked firearm and selling poison is as lethal an activity as can be found, short of outright killing a person."
Before the plea agreement was made, Springs' attorney, Clearwater County Public Defender Jack Hathaway, filed a motion to suppress the evidence found at the time of the arrest. Hathaway, according to court records, argued deputies did not have an "objective and reasonable articuable suspicion" Springs was engaged in or was about to engage in a criminal act.
But Bradbury, in his written opinion, cited several reasons why Cordle acted properly, including the strength of information received on the streets. "Given that objectively reasonable suspicion, I conclude Detective Cordle was permitted to detain and frisk Mr. Springs in order to question him about his suspicion," wrote Bradbury. "In reaching this conclusion, I rely on the fact that the two confidential informants and the confidential source were personally known to Detective Cordle. They had provided reliable information to him in the past. They had proven themselves to be trustworthy."
Tyler attributed much of the drug enforcement success in Clearwater County to informants and vigilance on the part of the public. As a result, he said, much of the meth manufacturing has been eliminated from the county. He and Jared said drugs continue, however, to be brought in from outside the county.
"It's a difficult thing to eliminate," Tyler said of drug trafficking and use. "The only way is with strong community involvement."
Originally published by the Lewiston Tribune
