La Grande man arrested in major multi-agency drug sting
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, December 1st, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER & UNION COUNTIES — (Release from Baker City Police) Over the past year the Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team has been conducting an investigation into several individuals responsible for distributing large amounts of fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder throughout Eastern Oregon. BCNET detectives work closely with the High Desert Drug Task Force in the Ontario Oregon area as well as local police agencies throughout Eastern Oregon. Through information sharing and teamwork with LaGrande Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office the main supplier of fentanyl was identified as BRIAN SPRAUER, age 43 out of LaGrande, Oregon.
As part of this investigation a Baker City man was identified as being responsible for distribution of fentanyl pills and powder throughout Baker City and Baker County. That part of the investigation concluded when detectives with BCNET/Baker City Police Department assisted by uniformed patrol officers served a search warrant at the subject’s residence in Baker City this past week.
As a result of the search warrant detectives located and seized about 700 fentanyl pills, two firearms, US currency, a small amount of MDMA and other items indicative of fentanyl distribution and use. MDMA is more commonly referred to as molly or ecstasy and is a central nervous system stimulant and a schedule 1 controlled substance.
On Wednesday November 29th, 2023, the Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the High Desert Drug Task Force in conjunction with the LaGrande Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police and the Union County District Attorney’s Office executed a search warrant at the residence of BRIAN GREGORY SPRAUER, 2004 ½ Spruce Avenue, LaGrande, Oregon.
As a result of the search warrant detectives located several hundred fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, methamphetamine, over 1000.00 in US currency and other items indicative of narcotics trafficking. Police also located several firearms, two of which came back as stolen out of Baker County and Wallowa County.
BRIAN SPRAUER was lodged in the Union County Jail on the following charges:
• Possession of fentanyl commercial drug offense
• Possession of methamphetamine commercial drug offense
• Attempted delivery of a controlled substance schedule II
• Attempted delivery of methamphetamine
• Theft first degree (2 counts)
• Endangering the welfare of a minor (2 counts)
• Tampering with physical evidence
• More charges may be pending.
Detectives are working with the Baker County District Attorney’s Office and the Union County District Attorney’s Office on prosecution of the cases.
The Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team is composed of members from the Baker City Police Department and is supported by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Baker County District Attorney’s Office.
The mission of the narcotics team is to disrupt and/or dismantle mid to upper-level drug trafficking individuals and organizations, address violent crime as well as provide valuable intelligence and investigative resources to all law enforcement regarding unlawful criminal activity. Detectives Assigned to these teams not only investigate narcotics trafficking but play a major role in major crime team cases.
The High Desert Drug Task Force (HDDTF) is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. HDDTF is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) which is composed of members from the Ontario Police Department, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon State Police. HDDTF is supported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baker City Police Department, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Nyssa Police Department, Payette Police Department, Fruitland Police Department, Idaho State Police, Malheur County District Attorney’s Office, and numerous other local and federal law enforcement partners.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the HDDTF.
