NEWS

Two arrested for pot found in tire during repair

Andrea Fisher
anfisher@greatfallstribune.com

Two men face felony drug charges after auto repair employees reported finding a large amount of marijuana inside a tire they were repairing.

Gabriel Alexander Caldwell and Austin Louis Calder each face one count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, a felony. Both made their initial court appearances Thursday.

According to court documents, Great Falls police officers were called to a local tire repair shop Wednesday after employees discovered the marijuana in the tire.

The police report says Caldwell placed the tire in the back of Calder’s truck before police arrived. Both men were on the scene when police got there, documents say, and both consented to searches of their vehicles.

Documents say investigators found about one pound of marijuana in the shredded tire and seven grams in the truck’s center console.

The police report says Caldwell admitted to possession of the tire after waiving his Miranda rights, and further admitted that Calder brought the marijuana to Great Falls where they intended to sell it. He also indicated the two knew each other from a college track team.

Bail for both Calder and Caldwell was set at $2,500.