A traffic stop near the Salmon River that began with an alleged traffic violation ended with two arrests, an impounded pickup and a reported seizure of $295,467 in cash. The Lemhi County Sheriff's Office says the same search produced methamphetamine, powdered fentanyl, marijuana, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms and drug paraphernalia.
Coty M. Wilson of Missoula and Brandy M. Wilson of Great Falls were booked into the Lemhi County Jail after the Sunday night stop. Both women face methamphetamine trafficking and several drug-possession charges. Those charges are accusations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court.
The striking part of the case is not one item by itself. It is the combination of a routine rural stop, a trafficking-level quantity of methamphetamine, a supply of fentanyl and nearly $300,000 in cash inside one truck.
The stop began beside the Salmon River
The Sheriff's Office account places the stop at about 9 p.m. Sunday near WagonHammer RV Park, along the Salmon River. A deputy reportedly stopped a 2026 Dodge Ram 1500 for a traffic violation.
Authorities say the deputy noticed the odor of marijuana coming from the pickup and searched it. The reported inventory included about 115 grams of marijuana, 40 grams of methamphetamine and 3 grams of powdered fentanyl. Deputies also reported finding LSD tabs, psilocybin mushrooms and several pieces of drug paraphernalia.
Then came the cash count: $295,467 in United States currency, according to the Sheriff's Office account. The pickup was impounded as evidence.
The location adds a distinctly Idaho setting to the case. This was not a raid in a large city or a bust at a major airport. It began during a deputy's patrol beside a river corridor used by residents, anglers, campers and travelers. One traffic stop quickly became a narcotics case involving two out-of-state defendants and a six-figure cash seizure.
The drug quantities shaped the charges
Both Wilsons were booked on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, possessing fentanyl, possessing marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia. Coty Wilson also faces an LSD-possession charge.
The trafficking allegation is tied to quantity. The reported 40 grams of methamphetamine exceeds the 28-gram level identified in Idaho's trafficking law, according to the account of the arrest. That distinction makes the meth charge more serious than a simple possession allegation. It does not, however, decide guilt. Prosecutors still must establish that the seized material was methamphetamine, connect the evidence to each defendant and prove every required element in court.
Coty Wilson's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28 in Lemhi County. A preliminary hearing is an early stage of a felony case, not a trial. The court will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to continue. No hearing date for Brandy Wilson was included in the initial reports.
The largest questions remain unanswered
The initial Sheriff's Office account describes what deputies say they found, but it does not establish where the drugs or cash came from, where the truck was headed or whether authorities believe the stop connects to a larger operation. It also does not say that the cash has been forfeited. Seizure during an investigation and permanent forfeiture are different legal steps.
Those gaps matter. A large pile of cash and a long inventory can make an arrest look conclusive before a court has tested the evidence. The next phase requires chain-of-custody records, laboratory results, testimony about the stop and search, and proof linking the alleged contraband to the people charged.
The defendants, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to challenge the state's account and the admissibility of the evidence. That is the accountability built into the process: deputies document the stop, prosecutors carry the burden and a judge evaluates the case under the law.
A routine patrol produced an unusual case
For Lemhi County, the immediate public-safety result is concrete. Deputies say they removed powdered fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs from a vehicle and preserved the truck and cash as evidence. The size of the reported cash seizure also gives investigators a financial trail to examine.
What the stop ultimately proves will be decided in court. For now, the verified public record is narrower: a deputy stopped a pickup near the Salmon River, two women were arrested, and authorities reported finding a drug inventory and $295,467 that turned an ordinary patrol encounter into a major local case.