[dropcap]A[/dropcap] Dillingham man was busted on possession of methamphetamine as he was at the Anchorage Airport preparing to board a flight to the southwest Alaska town was indicted on charges of “possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance” according to U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroeder on Thursday. 

The indictment stems from an arrest that occurred at the Anchorage Airport on November 19th of this year. According to the report, Andrew Madson Straley, age 50, was walking to the departure gate when he was detained by the Airport Interdiction Team.

Straley, a licensed investigator in the state, former police officer and a graduate of the FBI sniper school in Quantico, according to the Alaska Hemp website, was observed arriving at the airport earlier without luggage and had checked in at the counter to depart to Dillingham. He was alleged to have made a comment to another passenger at that time that he needed to “go pick something up,” prior to leaving the airport in a red sedan. His departure from the airport was picked up on security cameras in the vehicle that DMV records show belonged to Straley.

Straley arrived back at the airport approximately an hour later in the same vehicle and after spotting a K9 unit parked close by, moved to another gate and Straley entered the airport, and this time had a piece of blue roller baggage in tow as he headed for the departure gate. Enforcement made contact with him and a trained narcotics detection K9 was brought in to examine his luggage. The K9 indicated the presence of narcotics after which Straley consented to a search of his bag.

As a result of the search of his bag, officers would find 114.6 grams of methamphetamine, numerous baggies of a size consistent with drug sales and a number of glass pipes.

Straley had been under observation since an undisclosed informant tipped off law enforcement that Straley had previously offered to sell him methamphetamine.

Schroeder reports that Straley is awaiting his court appearance before a federal judge. If convicted, Straley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million.

  airport, Alaska, andrew, arrest, dillingham, distribution, indictment, k9, meth, methamphetamine, possession, straley, ted stevens