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NEPHI — A Coalville man with a history of drug distribution in Utah is again facing felony charges after police say he went to Las Vegas to pick up another supply and then caused an inmate at the Juab County Jail to go to the hospital after he was arrested.
David Isiah Parker, 33, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with drug possession with intent to distribute, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony. On Thursday, he was charged with another count of drug distribution, a first-degree felony, and drug possession inside a correctional facility, a third-degree felony.
On April 11, agents with the State Bureau of Investigation said they learned that Parker, who they say is a "known fentanyl distributor in the Salt Lake Valley," was traveling to Las Vegas to purchase more fentanyl.
"Agents tracked Parker to Vegas and back to Utah," , according to charging documents. A police booking affidavit further notes that state agents "obtained information that he was likely bringing back a distributable amount of fentanyl powder. Agents with SBI performed surveillance on I-15 and located the vehicle that Parker was utilizing."
Parker, who was in the front passenger seat, later told the officers that, as he was about to be pulled over, he gave his drugs to the driver, Mikell Sian Schmidt, 29, who concealed them as Parker held the steering wheel, the affidavit states. Schmidt was taken to a local hospital where "a large ball of what appeared to be raw fentanyl powder was removed" from her body, and she was arrested for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute and obstructing justice.
A day after Parker was arrested and booked into the Juab County Jail, another inmate had to be taken to the hospital because of drugs allegedly supplied by Parker, the charges allege.
"Parker possessed fentanyl while in the jail and distributed fentanyl to another inmate, who had to be transported to the hospital due to his reaction to consuming the fentanyl," the charges say.
Parker has previously been convicted twice in Utah with drug possession with intent to distribute, and was on parole at the time of his arrest.
