A man’s attempt to purchase a firearm in Soldotna led Alaska State Troopers to recover a stolen weapon, drugs and drug paraphernalia Friday.
Troopers were tipped off to a potential stolen firearm after a man hoping to purchase it “got a weird vibe” and reported the serial number to AST, according to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. The serial number matched that of a Sig Sauer .45 pistol reported stolen in an Anchorage Police Department case.
A warrant was issued for the residence where the gun was last seen — a home on Saint Joseph Street in Soldotna — and served Friday at 9:45 p.m. Along with the firearm, troopers with the Soldotna Patrol and Statewide Drug Enforcement Units found roughly 12.1 grams of methamphetamine, 2.4 grams of heroin, $2,304 in cash and assorted drug paraphernalia, including scales and bags.
The estimated street value of the drugs was roughly $2,400 for the meth and $1,200 for the heroin, according to Peters.
Joseph Lantz, Breanna Wright and Patricia Barnes were all arrested at the home without incident. Lantz was charged with third-degree misconduct involving controlled substances, second-degree theft and fourth-degree possession of a controlled substance. Wright faces charges of fifth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and fourth-degree possession of a controlled substance. Barnes faces charges of second-degree manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance and violating conditions of release.
The trio was taken to the Wildwood Pretrial Facility and held without bail pending their arraignments. Peters says Lantz faces an additional charge of first-degree promoting contraband for heroin found on him during his intake at the jail.