Kalispell man back in jail for more drug charges

A Kalispell man who received a probationary sentence for growing marijuana with his cousin in Flathead National Forest is back in jail.

Smoky Alan Geldrich, 29, is being held on felony charges of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and failure to appear.

According to court documents, Geldrich failed to appear in court on July 20 for an arraignment on a felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs charge and a revocation hearing for allegedly violating conditions of a five-year deferred sentence for the offense of felony criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs.

According to court documents, on Jan. 9 the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office had talked to two men traveling on U.S. 2 who were allegedly observed as being “dangerously close” to the highway with vehicles reportedly slowing down and swerving to avoid the pair. One of the men was riding a bike that was allegedly not equipped with a headlight, and the other man was walking. The officer identified one of the men as Geldrich, who was on probation and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest at the time. The officer subsequently arrested and searched Geldrich, allegedly finding a clear credit card sleeve containing a white powdery substance, which was later identified as methamphetamine by the Montana State Crime Lab, resulting in the felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs charge.

Geldrich had received the initial five-year deferred sentence in 2016 for criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs when in September 2013 between 20 to 30 budding marijuana plants were found near a structure he and a cousin had constructed in the Flathead National Forest, according to court documents. Officers recovered an additional 40 marijuana plants in duffel bags possessed by Geldrich and his cousin at the time of their arrest.

Geldrich allegedly violated at least five conditions of his deferred sentence in numerous ways, according to a report by Montana Department of Corrections Adult Probation and Parole filed in court May 3.

A revocation hearing and arraignment in the two cases has been rescheduled for Aug. 24.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.