Three Grand Forks men plead not guilty to cocaine, Xanax crimes
Apr. 29—GRAND FORKS — After his Monday morning, April 29, preliminary hearing ended with the judge determing there was enough evidence to proceed with the charges, a Grand Forks man pleaded not guilty to three drug crimes.
Jonathan Alvarez, 37, is charged with Class A felony possession of at least 50 grams of cocaine with intent to manufacture or deliver it, which has a maximum 20-year sentence.
He's also charged with two Class C felonies, schedule IV depressant possession with intent and drug paraphernalia possession.
On March 15, a search warrant was executed on a 36th Avenue South apartment unit, according to a probable cause statement filed in the case.
Inside, law enforcement allegedly found approximately 186 grams of cocaine HCL, 85 Xanax pills, drug paraphernalia and items suspected to be used for selling drugs.
Alvarez, as well as two other men, were believed to be residents of the unit.
Alvarez's co-defendants, Jacob Andrew Lopez and Nathaniel James Gepford, waived their preliminary hearings. They pleaded not guilty to the same three charges, though their paraphernalia charges were filed as Class A misdemeanors because they have no prior paraphernalia convictions.
All three men are scheduled for final dispositional conferences at 1:30 p.m. on July 25.
