Two men were arrested in Bozeman on Friday and are facing drug-related charges.
“This weekend the Bozeman Police Department conducted an undercover operation at several locations in the downtown area and we did make two arrests out of the Bar IX bar for individuals selling dangerous drugs,” said Bozeman Police Department Captain Dana McNeil.
Joel Allen, 31 years old, and Cayden Dudley, 24, were arrested Friday night and both charged with criminal distribution of dangerous drugs after court documents say Allen sold undercover agents more than three grams of cocaine and Dudley sold an agent 1.2 grams of cocaine and had an accomplice sell cocaine to a separate officer.
“Allen, the defendant, has recorded criminal history out of Mississippi and recorded traffic history out of Montana,” said Gallatin County Deputy Attorney Meghan Holtz.
“Dudley, the defendant, has a recorded criminal history out of Montana and Utah and a recorded traffic history out of Montana, Washington and Wyoming,” Holtz added.
MTN News talked with the owner of Bar IX, who did not want to go on camera, but he said he was sick of having these criminals in his bar, and that his employees are cooperating with police and had nothing to do with the incidents.
Court documents say Bozeman police have received numerous tips and complaints regarding drug activity at the bar, but this was not an isolated operation targeting this specific location.
“No, we conducted investigations into several locations and I’m sorry I can’t give you all that information right now, but yeah we didn’t concentrate on anything in particular just the several downtown locations,” said Captain McNeil.
Bail was set at $40,000 for Allen and $50,000 for Dudley given other details in the court documents as well as criminal history.
Again, the bar owner was adamant that the bar had nothing to do with the arrests or the individuals.
