TRF woman sentenced for felony drug offense

Nichole Renae Beito
Nichole Renae Beito

A Thief River Falls woman was sentenced Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Pennington County District Court for a felony drug offense.

Nichole Renae Beito, 32, was sentenced for a felony charge of third-degree controlled substance crime – possession. A felony charge of third-degree controlled substance crime – sale and a gross misdemeanor charge of child endangerment – possession of a controlled substance were dismissed.

For the former charge, Beito was granted a three-year stay of imposition. As a condition, she was ordered to serve supervised probation for five years. She was ordered to complete a comprehensive assessment within 60 days of sentencing. Beito was ordered to complete the level of treatment and aftercare recommended. She was ordered to complete a mental health evaluation. Beito was ordered to not use or possess firearms, ammunition, or explosives during her lifetime unless her civil rights were restored. She was ordered to supply a DNA sample. Beito was also ordered to pay $260 in fees and fines.

According to the complaints, Beito and her husband, Marc Gorman Beito, were arrested after a drug sale on Aug. 29, 2022, in the parking lot of Walmart in Thief River Falls. Nichole Beito was later transported to the Sanford Medical Center emergency room, where she was evaluated after she said she had consumed a bunch of pills. After the evaluation was completed, she was transported back to the Pennington County Jail. The Pine to Prairie Task Force worked with a confidential informant, who said he was able to buy fentanyl pills from Nichole Beito. The confidential informant later informed the officer that Beito had agreed to sell $1,500 worth of fentanyl pills to the confidential informant. A portion of the money – $600 in PTPDTF drug buy-back money – was fronted to Nichole Beito in a cash app in which her name was listed as the recipient. Her profile picture was also featured.

The informant said Nichole Beito was on her way from Moorhead to Thief River Falls to sell the fentanyl. There was a possibility that her husband and their two children would be with her. Law enforcement conducted surveillance of the drug transaction and saw that Beito was accompanied by her husband and children. She then entered the informant’s vehicle.

The informant had been outfitted with an audio device; however, the audio was muffled. Law enforcement moved in order to observe the transaction better. Inside the vehicle, Beito sold the informant 75 pills once the remaining $900 was provided. After listening to the audio device later, they could hear a female voice saying about how she could get the drugs for a different price next time. After law enforcement made their presence known, Beito admitted there were more pills in her backpack and told them where to look specifically.

Inside the backpack, law enforcement found 33 pills similar to the pills sold to the informant.

A nasal injector of Narcan and drug paraphernalia were also found in the backpack. Law enforcement also found tinfoil on the floor of the passenger side of the vehicle.

Marc Beito said his wife uses tinfoil to smoke the pills. Marc Beito allegedly told law enforcement that his wife was planning to drop off opiates to a man and it wasn’t the first time that she had engaged in such activity. He said he was only the driver and he doesn’t sell pills.

He said he knew the M30 (oxycodone) pills may contain fentanyl.

Nichole Beito said she wanted her lawyer to be present when she was questioned by law enforcement. After their parents’ arrests, the Beito children were placed in the care of their aunt. While the kids waited for her to arrive from Moorhead, a police sergeant and a sheriff’s deputy supervised them.

The case against Marc Beito is still proceeding. He faces similar charges to his wife and also a misdemeanor charge of violation of a protection order.

He was allegedly precluded from having contact with his wife at the time.

 

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