Montezuma County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man who was wanted on a warrant on Aug. 31 after they found him in possession of heroin, methamphetamine and opioids, according to the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.
Staff Sgt. Adam Alcon spotted Brian Gesaman, 44, at 12:22 p.m. at Quik Cash, in the 600 block of E. Main St. in Cortez, according to his report.
Gesaman was arrested in the parking lot and searched after he attempted to flee on foot. He was arrested on the warrant, obstructing government operations, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia and four counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs including 1 gram of black tar heroin, 5 grams of meth, 16 Hydrocodone pills and 25 morphine pills.
Deputies also found a large amount of what was presumed to be psilocybin, or psychedelic, mushrooms with Gesaman, Sheriff Steve Nowlin said Thursday. Montezuma County drug task force officials are still investigating the mushrooms, however, he said.
The encounter was a traffic contact, and Gesaman was not under surveillance before the incident, Nowlin said. Gesaman has prior history with drug arrests, Nowlin said.
The arrest is being included in a larger investigation into heroin and other illegal drugs, Nowlin said. The source for the drugs Gesaman had has not yet been determined, he said.
Nowlin could not confirm whether the drugs Gesaman possessed were related to two apparent drug overdoses in August.
On Aug. 16, 18-year-old Chance Davidson, of Dolores, died from an apparent drug overdose. Officials previously suspected that Davidson had ingested heroin, based on paraphernalia tested at the scene, but Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers confirmed Thursday, Sept 8, that an unspecified opioid contributed to Davidson’s death, based on results of a toxicology report.
In the second recent overdose, a deputy responded to a location near Dolores on Aug. 18, where he encountered a person who had cut their arm with a razor and ingested a narcotic, according to reports. The person was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital for treatment, and a deputy recovered a needle with a red substance and a razor blade at the scene.
