Former Cushing man jailed for fentanyl trafficking

By Patti Weaver

(Stillwater, OK) — A former Cushing man on probation for marijuana and property crimes was jailed on $100,000 bail pending his June 18 arraignment on charges of possessing 28 times the trafficking weight of fentanyl.

If convicted of aggravated trafficking in fentanyl, Taudje Nickolus Ewy, 33, of Stillwater, could face up to life in prison plus a fine of $250,000 to $500,000, according to court records.

Ewy was stopped at Highway 33 and Western at 6:12 p.m. on May 31 by Stillwater Police Officer Brett Moore, who had received information “regarding Taudje Ewy's trafficking illegal drugs from Oklahoma City to Stillwater and the Payne County area this afternoon.” states his affidavit.

“Taudje was believed to be collecting a large quantity of pure powdered fentanyl, commonly known as “fetty,” for distribution in Payne County. I have had numerous contacts with Taudje and I know that he is involved in the distribution of narcotics.” Moore alleged in his affidavit.

“Taudje is currently serving a 15-year suspended sentence during which he pleaded guilty to possession of CDS with intent to distribute as well as additional charges,” the affidavit states.

“On this date, I observed Taudje driving his vehicle, a black 2006 Nissan with OK tag PAP820, in and around the Stillwater area. I monitored Taudje as he visited numerous residences in the Perkins area.

“The residences he visited were all known users of fentanyl, and his stays were very brief. It appeared Taudje was collecting money before traveling to OKC,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

Around 2 p.m., Taudje returned to his residence in Stillwater for a brief time, then left westbound on the 6th, according to the affidavit. “Taudje was seen leaving the city limits and continuing toward I-35. I thought Taudje was making his trip to OKC to pick up fentanyl,” the officer alleged.

The Stillwater officer, a member of the Special Projects Unit under the Sheriff's Office, said in his affidavit, “I thought Taudje would return to the Perkins area via the interstate. 33 to deliver the product to the residences he had visited.

At 5:50 p.m., “I observed Taudje driving the same vehicle eastbound on the highway. 33 from Coyle Road. Near the highway area. 33 and Country Club, I observed a drop in the speed limit from 65 mph to 55 mph in a construction zone. Taudje does not slow down his speed. As we approached Sangre, I observed Taudje cross the center line with both tires on the driver's side twice.

“I activated my emergency dome lights to attempt to carry out a traffic stop. Taudje immediately began making furtive movements toward the center console of his vehicle and did not yield to my emergency lights, but eventually parked in a driveway just east of an intersection, the officer alleged in his affidavit.

“I asked for Taudje’s driver’s license and proof of insurance. While Taudje was retrieving the requested items, I observed in his hand a piece of aluminum foil with burn marks, called a hotrail, and a cut straw. Taudje was trying to hide the items, and I then told him to get out of the vehicle.

“Taudje dropped the cut straw, which fell on the sidewalk and was able to throw the aluminum foil on the floor of the back seat”, where it turned out that there was still a melted product which would be fentanyl, the officer alleged in his affidavit.

“I asked Taudje about his travels, and he admitted to going to OKC to recharge; however, he stated that he did not receive any product and only purchased the pill that I collected from the foil,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

“Taudje consented to me looking into his cell phone. Looking through his messages, it was obvious that Taudje had indeed received a quantity of narcotics; however, we were unable to locate them in the vehicle.

“Taudje denied having anything on him and was searched several times before finally locating a plastic bag which he had hidden in his groin, under his genitals and his thigh. The bag was removed, which contained a large quantity of a powdery substance believed to be fentanyl, as well as two separate bags containing a purple “playdoh”-like substance.

“After arriving at the police station, I asked Taudje, for my safety, what this purple substance was. Taudje said he was unsure of the actual content; however, he believed it was either “tranquilizer,” heroin, or carfentanil. Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

“Upon further investigation, I believe the purple substance is a drug called 'purple heroin,' which is a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil. It should be noted that a particle of carfentanil, smaller than a grain of salt, could be fatal to a human,” the officer alleged in his affidavit.

“The total weight of the fentanyl seized was 28.07 grams. This represents 28 times the weight of fentanyl trafficking,” states the affidavit.