LEWISTON, ID – A 41-year-old Lewiston man was arrested yesterday evening following a traffic stop in the 2200 block of 3rd Avenue North. Lewiston Police Detectives say Michael Lansdowne was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, and felony injury to a child, following the incident at about 6:13 p.m.
“Lansdowne’s 3-year-old daughter was in the vehicle with him when he was contacted by officers. Lewiston Police Detectives applied for a search warrant for Lansdowne’s vehicle, person and home in the 2900 block of Garfield Court in Lewiston. Detectives found about 889 grams of methamphetamine and about 12 grams of heroin in the trunk of the vehicle,” a press release says.
A search of the home uncovered another approximately 18 grams of heroin and two firearms.
Lansdowne was the target of a long-term investigation by LPD members of the FBI’s North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force working jointly with the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. Idaho State Police also contributed information to the case.
UPDATE from the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office:
Starting in November of 2022, Lewiston Police Narcotic Detectives began conducting an
investigation into Michael D Lansdowne (41 yoa, Lewiston) for suspected trafficking of illegal
substances into the LC Valley. LPD Detectives conducted surveillance on Mr. Lansdowne’s
residence and spoke with confidential sources about ongoing illegal drug activity. Ultimately,
detectives applied for a search warrant to place a GPS tracker on Mr. Lansdowne’s vehicle in
February of 2023. While monitoring the GPS tracker, detectives observed the vehicle travel to
Moses Lake, WA, stay at a residence for 1.5 hours, then travel back to the LC Valley. When the
vehicle returned to Lewiston, a patrol officer stopped the GPS tracked vehicle to find Mr.
Lansdowne driving with his 3 year old daughter as a passenger. Detectives began speaking with
Mr. Lansdowne about any illegal drugs and was informed there was a small amount of
methamphetamine at his residence. Detectives decided to seek a search warrant for the residence
and the vehicle. After the search warrant was approved, detectives allegedly located
approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine and 12 grams of heroin in the vehicle Mr.
Lansdowne was driving with his child. Detectives then searched the residence and located
suspected heroin and two firearms. Mr. Lansdowne was taken into custody and transported to the
Nez Perce County Detention Center.
In court today, the Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office filed three felony charges: 1) Trafficking
in Methamphetamine, 2) Trafficking in Heroin, and 3) Injury to Children. The Prosecutor’s Office
requested a bail of $80,000 partially because of prior criminal history of Mr. Lansdowne to include
a Felony Assault (1997), Felony Delivery/Possession with Intent (1999), Possession of Heroin
reduced to a Misdemeanor (2019), Misdemeanor Domestic Battery and Destruction of a
Telephonic Device (2017), and multiple probation violations. The Prosecutor’s Office also
believes the inherent risk of drugs into our community is a risk to public safety and Mr. Lansdowne
had his 3 year old child while allegedly trafficking a large amount of drugs. During the bond
hearing, Nez Perce County Magistrate Judge Sunil Ramalingam ordered an $80,000 bond..
