A Nome man faces eleven felony drug charges, after allegedly selling heroin and methamphetamine to an undercover police officer several times in the last year.
30 year-old Kelly McDaniel appeared in court Tuesday, and was formally charged with several counts of distribution and possession of the drugs. A warrant for McDaniel’s arrest was first issued in December, but that warrant was later cancelled and McDaniel appeared in court this week on official summons.
Court documents allege that McDaniel sold controlled substances to an undercover officer on three separate occasions — the last as recently as August. He now faces three additional charges for allegedly possessing and distributing drugs within 500 feet of Nome Elementary School.
Magistrate Bob Lewis presided over the arraignment and remarked that McDaniel’s charges, several of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, are the “most serious” he’s seen in a string of similar cases.
In December, two Nome residents were arrested after allegedly selling heroin to an undercover officer. Then, in January, another couple was charged with selling methamphetamine. Nome Police and Troopers say the arrests are all part of a year-long undercover investigation.
In court, Nome District Attorney John Earthman requested that McDaniel be taken into custody immediately and bail set at $5,000.
Magistrate Lewis acknowledged that McDaniel’s appearance in court — of his own volition — was “to his credit,” but approved the bail amount. McDaniel was taken into custody and escorted to Nome’s Anvil Mountain Correctional Center.
An attorney was appointed by the court to represent McDaniel. McDaniel’s next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
