Two face charges in drug trafficking case

Arraignment hearings were held recently in Flathead District Court for a pair of men facing felony conspiracy charges after a package containing methamphetamine and oxycodone was intercepted by FedEx.

Scott Lee Davis, 38, Kalispell and Christopher Ferrari, 37, Whitefish, are each charged with conspiracy in the criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. Davis pleaded not guilty, while a bench warrant was issued for Ferrari, who failed to appear for the hearing.

Ferrari was released after paying $20,000 in bail.

When employees at the Kalispell FedEx office received the package on Nov. 1, they became suspicious and opened it, court documents said. They reportedly found one-quarter ounce of a white crystalline substance believed to be meth, 26 pills identified as 10-milligram oxycodone and 20 pills identified as 20-milligram oxycodone.

The document states the package had originated from Phoenix, Ariz., and was addressed with bad handwriting to an address in Kalispell. Employees could only read the first name of the addressee, Scott, and that the last name appeared to start with the letter D.

An employee called the phone number listed on the package for the person who shipped it and left a message indicating they were having problems delivering the package. FedEx reportedly received a return call very quickly, and an employee advised the caller that the package would remain at the office for 30 minutes.

Davis showed up at the office, allegedly to claim the package, and was arrested. The court document states that Davis agreed to speak with a Northwest Drug Task Force agent without an attorney, and said he was sent by Ferrari to pick up the package, and that Ferrari would be calling him about the package.

Prior to Davis receiving the call, task force agents applied for and received a warrant allowing them to record calls between the two. Agents recorded two calls between Ferrari and Davis, with Ferrari allegedly mentioning the package in both calls.

Ferrari was instructed to go to the location where the package was to be delivered, was allegedly witnessed doing so, and was then instructed to go to a second location.

He was stopped and arrested prior to arriving at the second location.

According to the court document, the crystalline substance later tested positive for meth.

Davis and Ferrari each face between two years and life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 if they are convicted.

In addition, Davis also faces a suspended sentence of up to 12 years to run consecutively to any sentence in the drug case due to potential violation of his probation in three prior cases. His convictions include felony theft, felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and felony criminal endangerment.

Davis entered general denials to his violation in those cases and a hearing was set for Jan. 10, 2013.

Davis and Ferrari’s next hearings in the new case are set for Feb. 13, 2013.