Police say they uncovered a Parkville man’s stash of methamphetamine while responding to a 9-1-1 call on a suspicious man peeking into windows and trying to gain access into a Kansas City residence.
At about 1:12 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, Platte County Sheriff’s Department deputies allegedly spotted Michael Artzer, 32, standing inside the garage of a Kansas City home. From previous disturbances at the residence, deputies say they were aware Artzer was in direct violation of an order of protection filed earlier in the week.
Before Artzer was taken into custody, he asked deputies to retrieve a few of his belongings, including his work boots and backpack. According to court documents, the homeowner retrieved the requested items from the basement living room, where she previously allowed him to stay.
In the process, she noticed a “plastic bag containing a box filled with needles” and pipes, according to court documents.
When she told deputies about her discovery, they requested she grant them permission to search the basement. The homeowner complied. Allegedly tucked inside an air duct, police say they recovered a zipper pouch containing nearly a dozen plastic baggies with a “white crystalline substance.”
Authorities say the substance was later tested and affirmed by TruNac to be methamphetamine, weighing three-fourths of an ounce (21.3 grams.) Police also found a digital scale, four glass smoking pipes and 99 hypodermic needles.
Artzer has been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of an order of protection.
Platte County Circuit Court Judge Ann Hansbrough set his bail at $10,000 with multiple special conditions.