St. Ignatius business owner charged with dealing meth

A St. Ignatius man who owns the company that provides bus transportation for the St. Ignatius School District has been arrested on a drug charge following an investigation.

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Scott Johnson, 54, was arrested on Thursday, May 24, on a charge of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Officials arrested Johnson in Ravalli following a “months-long investigation,” Lake County Sheriff Don Bell stated in a press release Friday.

As of Friday afternoon, Johnson was housed at the Lake County Jail and bond had not yet been set.

Johnson is owner of J.C. Bussing Inc., which has a long-standing contract with the St. Ignatius School District.

Superintendent Jason Sargent said that Johnson’s company owns the buses used to transport the district’s children. He said he was unsure of any further details regarding Johnson’s arrest.

Sargent said the district has had a contract with J.C. Bussing for about 40 years.

When asked if there have been any issues with the company, Sargent said “No, they’ve been very reliable. They’ve done an excellent job for the district for many years.”

According to a statement from the district, Sargent said there is “no reason to suspect that this activity involves any students or” the St. Ignatius School District.

The last day of school for St. Ignatius schools is Friday, June 1.

In the statement, Sargent said that upon hearing of the arrest late Thursday, the district began to work “immediately” with employees of the company to continue covering routes to and from school as well as school-sponsored events.

A call to a number listed for J.C. Bussing went to voicemail Friday afternoon.