FAIRMONT — A Fairmont man is facing felony charges in Fairmont. Cole Kedean Wiebe, 37, has been charged with one count of selling narcotics in the third degree. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Wiebe is also charged with one count of drug possession in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the complaint:

At approximately 8:47 p.m. on March 5, 2021, a Fairmont Police officer was conducting a traffic stop at the intersection of Prairie Avenue and Blue Earth Avenue when he observed a man walking south on Prairie Avenue. As the man came near, the officer observed the man place his hand near his face as if to conceal his identity. The officer was able to recognize his as Wiebe.

Due to Wiebe’s suspicious behavior, the officer requested a warrant check on Wiebe and learned he had a warrant out for his arrest. The officer made contact with Wiebe and advised him that he was under arrest for an active warrant.

As the officer attempted to handcuff Wiebe, Wiebe jerked away and began running in an attempt to escape custody. Another officer was able to intercept and stop Wiebe from running away. Wiebe continued to resist as officers subdued and handcuffed him.

When asked if he had drugs on him, Wiebe replied in the affirmative and said that he had meth on him. An officer searched Wiebe’s person and found a glass pipe containing residue consistent with meth and a baggie containing a crystalline substance. The officer also found a container with numerous plastic baggies, a cut straw, seven unidentified pills, a hypodermic syringe, and another small plastic container containing a crystalline substance.

Wiebe was transported to the Martin County Jail where he was searched into the facility and turned over to detention deputies. The crystalline substance tested positive for meth.

Numerous smaller baggies were found to contain uniform amounts of meth, which an officer recognized as packaged for sale. Of the seven pharmaceutical pills that have been recovered, five were identified as Ketorolac Tromethamine, and the other two pills were identified as Oxycodone Hydrochloride. Ketorolac Tromethamine is a non-scheduled prescription pharmaceutical and Oxycodone Hydrochloride is a schedule II narcotic.