Ronan woman charged with selling fentanyl

A Ronan woman, accused of dealing fentanyl, entered a plea of not guilty in Polson District Court Feb. 29. Brandy Ann Unruh, 45, faces felony charges of criminal possession with intent to distribute and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

According to court records, on July 5, 2023, Unruh was spotted by law enforcement officers driving to and entering a residence in Pablo that is often frequented by known drug users. A confidential informant had previously indicated to law enforcement that they had witnessed Unruh selling fentanyl pills to others numerous times.

When Unruh left the suspected “drug” house, she allegedly failed to come to a complete stop at a marked intersection. That gave law enforcement probable cause to make a traffic stop on her vehicle.

The investigation that followed led to the discovery of $11,043 in cash and 42 suspected fentanyl pills. Unruh claimed she had won money at a casino, just cashed two paychecks and got a bonus, inherited $4,000 and was carrying her daughter’s Social Security money.

Unruh later told officers that she would travel to Spokane and return with 400 pills per month. She also indicated that on one occasion, she returned with 1,000 pills. Unruh gave investigators the security code to access messages on a mobile device that allegedly referred to dealing drugs.

Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher set the case for trial Aug. 26. Unruh remains at liberty.