Arrests lead to seizure of drugs, firearm

By Sequim Gazette Staff • April 6, 2022 1:30 am
Evidence recovered from arrests at a Sequim apartment on March 28 include 30.3 grams of suspected fentanyl, 22.5 grams of suspected heroin, smaller quantities of various controlled substances, digital scales, packaging materials and a 9 mm pistol.
Evidence recovered from arrests at a Sequim apartment on March 28 include 30.3 grams of suspected fentanyl, 22.5 grams of suspected heroin, smaller quantities of various controlled substances, digital scales, packaging materials and a 9 mm pistol.

Local law enforcement officials found drugs and a firearm following two arrests made at a Sequim apartment in March 28, Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) officials said last week.

Adam Leonard and Miranda Niehaus were booked into the Clallam County Jail on warrants on March 28. Leonard faces an additional charge of Possession of Controlled Substances with Intent to Deliver, while Niehaus remains under investigation for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, OPNET officials said.

According to a press release, the case began March 28 when the Department of Corrections (DOC) requested assistance from OPNET detectives with arresting the 31-year-old Leonard at his apartment in the 300 block of South Fifth Avenue, Sequim. An active warrant for Leonard’s arrest had been issued out of Clallam County Superior Court, and DOC officials received information that Leonard was involved in the sales of illicit controlled substances, according to the release.

At about 9 a.m., OPNET and Sequim Police Officers accompanied Corrections officers to the apartment. Officers made contact at the door of the apartment and contacted multiple occupants, and when officers searched the apartment they located Leonard hiding inside of a box spring, law enforcement officials said.

Niehaus was also located inside the apartment and was immediately recognized by DOC officers as having an active DOC warrant, they said. Niehaus was arrested on that warrant, as well as a felony Clallam County Superior Court warrant.

Officers observed evidence of controlled substance sales in the apartment, and OPNET obtained a search warrant to search further, the press release stated. Their search yielded about 30.3 grams of suspected fentanyl, 22.5 grams of suspected heroin, smaller quantities of various controlled substances, digital scales, packaging materials, and a 9 mm pistol, according to the release.

The origin of the firearm, which was found in a purse belonging to Niehaus, remains under investigation by OPNET detectives, law enforcement officials said; Niehaus is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of previous felony convictions, they said.

OPNET is a multi-agency team enforcing narcotics laws in Clallam and Jefferson counties. Contributing agencies include the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Sequim and Port Angeles police departments, United States Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Port Townsend Police Department.

“OPNET’s primary focus is removing drug dealers from our community by identifying, locating, apprehending, and prosecuting offenders who deliver illegal narcotics such as heroin and methamphetamine,” OPNET officials said.