Two men accused of selling fentanyl in Bismarck to a woman who was hospitalized after smoking the drug last year entered not guilty pleas Tuesday.
Brandon Chandler faces charges of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death or injury, and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.
Chandler's co-defendant Scott Rau faces charges of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and providing false information to law enforcement.
During a joint preliminary hearing, Special Agent Michael Wood with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation testified about how he responded to a call on Dec. 12, 2023, regarding an unresponsive woman found in a vehicle parked outside a bar on Burlington Avenue in Mandan. The woman appeared blueish in color, Wood said. The woman identified only as Jane Doe was taken to a Bismarck hospital for treatment, according to the affidavit.
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Wood said he interviewed Jane Doe at the hospital, where she told him she had smoked fentanyl purchased from Rau in Bismarck. In a subsequent interview, she told Wood that she bought the drug from Chandler, according to Wood's testimony.
During his investigation, the agent reviewed cellphone records, including text messages, showing communications among Jane Doe, Rau and Chandler regarding drug purchases. He also testified that Chandler and Rau communicated about drug sales and Jane Doe. Additionally, Rau communicated with Brooke Helm, who allegedly assaulted Jane Doe in the Burleigh Morton Detention Center in apparent retaliation for Jane Doe speaking to investigators.
After testimony on Tuesday, South Central District Judge Bobbi Weiler ordered Chandler and Rau to stand trial on Sept. 18.
Chandler remains in custody at the Burleigh Morton Detention Center on a $25,000 cash bond and Rau is in custody at the North Dakota State Penitentiary, where he's serving a 22-month sentence for an unrelated matter.
Helm was named as a co-conspirator and charged with conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and tampering with a witness in a criminal investigation. Court records indicate she pleaded not guilty to the charges and is at a drug treatment facility on a $10,000 cash bond. Her case is scheduled for trial beginning Sept. 4.