Newport man charged with false information, resisting arrest

OLDTOWN — A Newport, Wash., man was arrested last week after officers say he provided a false name, resisted arrest, and was found to have multiple items of drug paraphernalia in his backpack.

A Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy said in a probable cause affidavit that they were driving through Oldtown on the evening of Jan. 3 when they observed a bicyclist without proper reflectors. According to court documents, the deputy conducted a traffic stop on the bicyclist and asked the man his name. The suspect allegedly identified himself as Joshua Johnson, but court records contend that he spoke so fast that the deputy asked him to repeat himself.

“When Joshua went to correct me, Joshua said, ‘Ja’ and he corrected himself quickly after by saying Joshua,” the deputy wrote in the affidavit.

The deputy wrote they noticed Johnson allegedly acted very nervous and avoided eye contact. When asked for his ID, the probable cause affidavit noted Johnson claimed his wallet had been stolen.

When the deputy ran Johnson’s name, the identification photo that came up did not resemble the suspect, court records said. However, a wanted person notice popped up for a James Johnson with the same birthday that the man had given the deputy, according to court records. He was wanted for an outstanding warrant. The photo that came up with that notice, the deputy wrote in the probable cause affidavit, looked like the man on the bicycle. 

Johnson was advised that he was being detained, but court records contend he allegedly began tensing up and resisted the deputy’s attempts to handcuff him. Eventually, both individuals ended up on the ground and Johnson began complying.

A small bag of green substance resembling marijuana was found on Johnson’s person and he allegedly admitted to deputies that he had a bong in his backpack. When deputies searched the backpack, they also found multiple methamphetamine pipes, court records said.

Additionally, deputies found three bags with a white crystalline substance in them, consistent with methamphetamine. Also found in the backpack were rolls of tin foil with burnt black substances in them, which the deputy wrote in the affidavit were consistent with smoking fentanyl pills.

“Under Miranda [Rights], James told me he provided a false name because he knew he had a warrant and he didn’t want to catch new drug charges,” the deputy wrote in the probable cause affidavit.

Johnson was arrested for three counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, providing false information to an officer and resisting arrest. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 17.