The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
An Oklahoma man with long-term ties to the Crested Butte community was arrested early Saturday and charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin. The arrest took place about 1:30 Saturday morning on Third Street in Crested Butte.
Forty-year-old Ronald Hughes is in the Gunnison County jail under a $60,000 bond and is charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors. Aside from the possession with intent to distribute a schedule 1 and 2 drug, he is also charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.
According to the arrest affidavit, Crested Butte marshal Mike Reily observed Hughes on Elk Avenue. He knew Hughes and after communicating with Gunnison dispatch, learned that there was a felony warrant out for his arrest. When confronted by Reily and deputy marshal Sean Besecker, Hughes ran away. The officers caught up to him but Hughes resisted arrest by violently fighting the officers. He managed to run away from the officers but again the officers caught him. They were able to handcuff Hughes.
Besecker found a small zip-lock baggie containing a brown substance in Hughes’ pants pocket “which tested presumptively for heroin.” The officers also found a pouch in Hughes’ jacket containing five balloons of heroin and two capsules of MDMA (Ecstasy). According to Reily’s report, “In my training and experience, the drugs and amount were packaged for sales. Hughes also had $560 in cash on his person.”
Hughes was arraigned in the Gunnison County Court on Tuesday, February 19. A status conference was set for February 26. He remains in jail with a $60,000 bond. The marshals are still investigating the case.
