Meth, heroin bound for Nome intercepted, two arrested

The Anchorage Airport drug interdiction team arrested two Nome residents, Kaitlyn Nicole Priester,29, and Frederick Larsen, 33, on August 15 at the Anchorage Airport after receiving tips from Nome AST that the two would be transporting drugs to Nome.
Priester was in possession of 43 grams or 430 doses of methamphetamine and about 19.6 grams, the equivalent of 196 doses, of heroin. The drugs have a Nome street value of $62,000, an Alaska State Troopers press release said.
Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team Sgt. Kevin Blanchette, stationed in Nome, said that an anonymous tip from the public led to the arrest of Priester and Larsen. The tip came on the day as the two were traveling. This information was relayed to investigators of the statewide drug Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team.
At the airport, they confirmed that Priester and Larsen were booked on the evening flight to Nome, according to an officer’s affidavit filed with charging documents in Anchorage. They observed Priester and Larsen going through TSA and Priester then entering the women’s bathroom, where she remained for 15 minutes. “Investigators know individuals who conceal substances inside a body cavity commonly remove them after passing through TSA security checkpoint,” the charging document says. The officers were dressed in civilian clothing, identified themselves as police and asked to speak with Priester. The officers observed sores and marks on her arms consistent with intravenous drug use. According to the affidavit, she walked away from the officers saying she needed to get to the departure gate. She was then detained, taken to the airport office for further investigation and read her Miranda rights. K-9 Bolt sniffed her carry on baggage and indicated that he found odor of controlled substances. According to the affidavit, Priester stated that “if she had any drugs in her possession, they were not for sale but for ‘her and her family’.” In her bag was a plastic zip lock bag containing an item wrapped in black electrical tape. “The item was covered in blood. Upon opening the item, it was found to contain two smaller individual packages wrapped in electrical tape.
A total of 43 grams net of suspected methamphetamine and 19.6 grams gross of suspected heroin were found inside the two packages, weights consistent with distribution for sale rather than personal use.
According to court documents filed in Anchorage, Priester was charged with one count of misconduct involving controlled substances in the second degree involving heroin, an A Felony, and one count of misconduct involving a controlled substances, methamphetamine, in the third degree. Priester was booked and is held at Highland Mountain Correctional in Eagle River.
Priester last year made a short-lived bid to run for a seat at the Nome Common Council.
Frederick John Marshal Larsen Jr. had an outstanding extraditable arrest warrant in Missouri for a prior offense and he was also arrested. No drugs were found on Larsen but officers found that he is a fugitive from justice from the state of Missouri relating to an outstanding warrant for his arrest. According to charging documents the arrest warrant was issued on April 21, 2009 for failure to appear connected to a burglary conviction. According to an officer’s affidavit filed in charging documents from the Harrisonville, MO sheriff’s department, he unlawfully entered a house and stole two zippo lighters, one pocketknife and a bottle of change worth $30.  Larsen had been convicted of the burglary in the first degree, served some time and was released on parole in 2006. According to the Missouri Court website, a probable probation violation resulted in a hearing set for April 20, 2009 that Larsen did not show up for. The next day a warrant for his arrest was issued and his probationary term was suspended.
Larsen also shows a charge of assault in the fourth degree, filed in Nome in 2014 and a charge from Missouri on possession of marijuana and failure to appear. The court document cautions per the sheriff’s office of Harrisonville that the defendant has “violent tendencies.”
The state of Missouri confirmed extradition.  Larsen is held at the Anchorage Correctional Center.  
Sgt. Blanchette with WAANT said information from the public helped in this case and he encourages people to call in with tips. He said tips can be anonymous and will be followed up by law enforcement.
People with drug-related tips can leave a message on the tipline at 1-800-478-3325 or  907-443-2835.