News from MTKGVO-AM in Missoula: The Missoula Narcotics Task Force detective was called by a US Postal Inspector on December 6, 2023, and a suspicious package marked to “Japel” was stopped. It was sent from Los Angeles to Missoula.
No one lives at that address, and it’s not a real address either. The TFO looked at past delivery records and found that starting in June 2023, eight other packages were sent to the same address from a Los Angeles post office.
The TFO demanded that the Missoula Police Department An cop comes to the post office with K9 Zip, a dog that has been trained to find drugs. K9 Zip gave a clear alert for a drug smell. The US Magistrate John T. Johnston told the TFO to file a search request for the suspicious package, which they did.
A search was carried out on the package, and several bags of what were probably drugs were found inside. A TruNarc scanner was used to check the bags, and the following things were found:
- One bag of cocaine that weighs about 25.4 grams
- One bag of cocaine that weighs about 54.3 grams
- One bag of cocaine that weighs about 7.6 grams
- K+ weighed about 28.8 grams in a bag.
- As a whole, the five cocaine capsules weigh about 73.3 grams.
- Twenty black pills that say “Cenforce 200 Sildenafil Citrate” on them. When the TFO looked into it, they found that these were off-label, prescription-only drugs used to treat sexual problems.
It was found by TFO that the package was set up to get tracking information by text message to a phone number. Along with that, a USPS account tied to this phone number and owned by 44-year-old Matthew Jepel was made.
Based on what he found, the TFO asked Judge Marks to allow a search of the house, which he did. The search was carried out by the TFO and other members of the MDTF on December 7, 2023. Japel was found in the front yard. Court records show that Jaipel waived his Miranda rights and decided to talk to the TFO.
Jaypel said that he bought a lot of cocaine and ketamine and then sold it to friends for what it was worth. Jepel wouldn’t tell people how to order its products, how to pay for them, or who to order from.
Following a search warrant, the following summary of items was found:
- $1,400 cash
- bags commonly used for distribution
- ketamine
- ladles
- numerous vials of suspected cocaine
- pistol
- scale
- suspected Xanax bars
- three cell phones
Jaypel was arrested by TFO and taken to the Missoula County Detention Center. Jaypel is being charged with two counts of trying to have illegal drugs on her and two counts of illegally using or having property that could be taken away by the police.