Decongestant Leads To Arrest

A tip that someone was trying to buy 144 bottles of pseudoephedrine nasal decongestant, which can be used to make methamphetamine, has resulted in the arrest of three men, authorities say.

They were arraigned in Blaine County Magistrate Court following their arrest Thursday south of Ketchum.

Cory Alexander Sohonyay, 24, and Timothy Scott Thomason, 23, were charged with conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamines.

John Frederick Hice, 50, who also was present in the trailer at the time, was arrested on misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Hice pleaded innocent to the charges. His bond was set at $1,000. Bond for Sohonyay and Thomason was set at $40,000 and $25,000, respectively.

Officers had received a tip an individual was trying to buy the decongestant at a Ketchum grocery store, Police Chief Cal Nevland said. It is commonly used to make “crank.” The purchase was traced to the trailer.

The Idaho Department of Law Enforcement confirmed 215 to 400 grams of methamphetamine could have been produced, at an estimated street value of $40,000 to $80,000.