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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2022)
A2 The BulleTin • Sunday, FeBruary 13, 2022 The Bulletin LOCAL, STATE & REGION how to reach us CIRCULATION didn’t receive your paper? Start or stop subscription? 541-385-5800 PHONE HOURS 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday and holidays GENERAL INFORMATION 541-382-1811 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. ONLINE www.bendbulletin.com EMAIL bulletin@bendbulletin.com AFTER HOURS Newsroom ................................541-383-0348 Circulation ................................541-385-5800 NEWSROOM EMAIL Business ........business@bendbulletin.com City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com Features.................................................................. communitylife@bendbulletin.com Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com NEWSROOM FAX 541-385-5804 OUR ADDRESS Street .............. 320 SW upper Terrace drive Suite 200 Bend, Or 97702 Mailing ........... P.O. Box 6020 Bend, Or 97708 ADMINISTRATION Publisher heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341 Editor Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166 DEPARTMENT HEADS Advertising Brian naplachowski .................541-383-0370 Circulation/Operations Jeremy Feldman ......................541-617-7830 Finance ......................................541-383-0324 Human Resources ................541-383-0340 TALK TO AN EDITOR City Julie Johnson ...................541-383-0367 Business, Features, GO! 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TO SUBSCRIBE Call us ......................541-385-5800 BEND Husband and wife arrested for smuggling fentanyl in peanut butter fice to use “less-lethal explosive devices to temporarily disori- ent the Martins during their arrest,” Vander Kamp said in the release. No one was injured during the arrest, but the Martins were taken to St. Charles Bend to be evaluated for unrelated med- ical conditions, the statement said. After leaving the hospital, both were transported to the Deschutes County jail. At the time of his arrest, Luke Martin was holding a grocery bag with an unusual amount of commercial-sized peanut butter containers the couple allegedly used to con- ceal large amounts of fentanyl powder and fraudulent Oxyco- done pills wrapped in plastic, Vander Kamp said. The peanut butter was likely used to mask the odors to prevent dogs or detectives from finding the drugs, he said. Detectives also found sto- len mail from around the Bend area. Investigators believe it was part of a fake check opera- tion they allege was being run out of the couple’s home. “Investigators allege the hus- band and wife are printing fake checks using real bank account information taken from un- suspecting people, businesses, and banks with information taken from the stolen mail,” Vander Kamp said. “The coun- terfeit checks are often written in their own or conspirator’s names, then cashed at the ac- count holder’s bank. As a re- sult, the victim account hold- ers often don’t find the loss for many days and it’s often not recoverable.” Both of the Martins are lodged at the county jail on charges of unlawful possession, manufacture, and attempted The officer who pulled over Topinka soon confirmed he was employed as a trooper for the Oregon State Police. Topinka was issued a citation in lieu of being taken to jail for driving under the influence of intoxicants, which is con- sistent with current COVID-19 protocol at the Deschutes County Adult jail, the release added. Topinka was off duty and driving a pickup truck when he was stopped. February is Cancer Prevention Month BY JOE SIESS The Bulletin A Deschutes County sher- iff’s SWAT team used stun grenades to disorient and help arrest a Bend couple Friday morning for charges related to alleged fentanyl smuggling and passing counterfeit checks. A search of the couple’s home turned up large amounts of commercial-sized pea- nut butter containers used to smuggle large quantities of drugs, and several stolen checks from residents and businesses in the Bend area, said Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp of the Central Oregon Drug En- forcement Team. Luke Anthony Martin, 38, and his wife, Ryeann Mar- tin, 27, were arrested after detectives searched the cou- ple’s home in the 61000 block of Ferguson Court about 10:30 a.m., Vander Kamp said in a press release. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the long-term investigation of the Martins. The Martins are part of an ongoing drug case spread out throughout the state, Vander Kamp said. “During a concurrent inves- tigation, drug agents identified the husband and wife as fen- tanyl traffickers in the central Oregon area,” Vander Kamp said. “The initial investigation alleges Mr. and Mrs. Martin have been importing large quantities of fentanyl pills and powder from the Portland area into central Oregon where they distribute it.” Central Oregon drug enforcement Team/Submitted photo During a drug bust Friday in Bend, detectives located a significant, commercial quantity of fentanyl powder and fraudulent OxyCodone tablets made of fentanyl wrapped in plastic and concealed within pea- nut butter containers. This was likely done to mask odors and prevent drug detection dogs or detectives from finding the fentanyl. Luke Martin’s violent crimi- nal history, which indicated he may have weapons, prompted drug enforcement detectives and the SWAT team from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Of- LOCAL BRIEFING Bend Police arrest OSP trooper for DUII An Oregon State Police trooper was stopped Thursday night in Bend by police and cited for driving under the influence of intoxicants. After driving through a blinking red light without stopping, Lewis Topinka, 40, of Bend was pulled over downtown by a Bend Police of- ficer around 11:08 p.m., a press release from the police department said Friday evening. — Bulletin staff report distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and first-degree forgery and aggra- vated identity theft. Luke Martin is also facing a felon in possession of a re- stricted weapon charge. Vander Kamp said the cou- ple’s bail has been enhanced because of the large quantity of illegal drugs they were traffick- ing, and that the investigation is ongoing with additional ar- rests expected. Vander Kamp said in the last two years, the region has seen a significant increase in fentanyl trafficking. Most of the drugs are manufactured illegally in Asia and then traf- ficked into the United States by drug cartels in Mexico, he said. The cartels tend to mix the raw fentanyl with adulterants like acetaminophen — the primary ingredient in Tylenol — but due to the clandestine process of making the pills, the dosing is inconsistent, leading to over- doses and deaths. In a clinical setting, a 200 pound adult would only need two micrograms of fentanyl, or about two grains of salt. However, it is not uncom- mon for the illegal pills out on the streets to contain deadly amounts of the drug, Vander Kamp said. “Our main focus is to seek out the large scale drug op- erations,” Vander Kamp said. “We are not seeking out small dealers. We are seeking out the source and following it to Mex- ico, following it to Asia.” e jsiess@bendbulletin.com, 541-617-7820 Fill every day with the friends & experiences that keep us young at heart. • Home delivery and E-Edition ..........................$7 per week • By mail .................................$9.50 per week • E-Edition only ...................$4.50 per week To sign up for our e-editions, visit www.bendbulletin.com to register. TO PLACE AN AD Classified ......................................541-385-5809 advertising fax ..........................541-385-5802 Other information ....................541-382-1811 OBITUARIES Call to ask about deadlines, Monday- Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ............541-385-5809 OTHER SERVICES Back issues ................................541-385-5800 Photo reprints .........................541-383-0366 Apply for a job ........................541-383-0340 all Bulletin payments are accepted at the drop box at City hall or at The Bulletin, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, Or 97708. Check payments may be converted to an electronic funds transfer. The Bulletin, uSPS #552-520, is published daily by Central Oregon Media Group, 320 SW upper Terrace drive, Bend, Or 97702. Periodicals postage paid at Bend, Or. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bulletin circulation department, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, Or 97708. The Bulletin retains ownership and copyright protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising copy and news or ad illustrations. They may not be reproduced without explicit prior approval. Central Oregon has high skin cancer rates. Protect your skin! Visit us to learn more about what our Assisted Living Community has to offer!! Schedule your annual skin exam. CALL NOW! 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