Gillette man sentenced for possession of meth

A Gillette man has been given a suspended sentence on charges of possession after allegedly acting strangely at a Keyhole State Park campsite last fall.

A State Parks Ranger was dispatched to a campsite to reports of a male who was acting as though he was on something. He arrived to find the campground host dealing with a male, later identified as Trinity Schiefer.

Schiefer had allegedly been told he should not be in the campsite because it was occupied by others and was trying to leave, but his vehicle would not start. The ranger contacted the male, who was allegedly fidgety and wet as though he had been in the lake.

The ranger spoke with the male, who allegedly repeated that he did not know he couldn’t be in other people’s campsites and was trying to move but was unable to. The ranger reports that, the more he spoke with the male, the more he noticed his behavior and movements were not normal.

According to the ranger’s report, “the male could not hold still any part of his body, swaying and finger twitching and minor arm flaying.” Schiefer had allegedly changed his clothes and the reason he appeared wet was from profuse sweating.

Dispatch informed the ranger that Schiefer had prior convictions for driving while under the influence and drug possession. The ranger noted that Schiefer had a “profound insatiable thirst” and continually asked for another drink.

The ranger asked Schiefer for an explanation for his unusual behavior. Schiefer allegedly claimed he was dehydrated and denied taking any medication.

Schiefer agreed to submit to some tests, the first of which was pupil dilation. The ranger notes in his report that, when Schiefer was asked to step into a sunny spot, his pupils had little reaction and stayed dilated, which can be indicative of a stimulant such as cocaine or methamphetamine.

Additional tests, including walking and turning and a one-leg stand, provided clues that Schiefer was under the influence of something, as did his pulse rate of 130. However, the ranger reports that he was still unsure what exactly that something could be.

The ranger asked if he could search Schiefer’s vehicle. Schiefer allegedly responded that he was on probation and could therefore not deny this request.

The ranger allegedly located $920 in cash and “half a dozen needles unused” in the vehicle, as well as a CD case containing a baggie of clear crystalline substance that appeared to be crystal meth.

Schiefer pled guilty to one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, third or subsequent offense, with four known prior convictions in Campbell County since 1998. Judge Thomas R. Rumpke sentenced Schiefer to between one and two-and-a-half years of jail time, suspended pending successful completion of three years of probation.