Olympia police said they recovered a large amount of illicit drugs and three firearms from a "suspicious" parked vehicle last week.
An officer spotted the vehicle on Feb. 9 after 1 a.m. on the 4000 block of Martin Way East, Lt. Paul Lower told The Olympian. Lower identified the occupant as a Joseph Frank Mydlar, a 40-year-old Tumwater resident with multiple arrest warrants.
In a tweet shared Wednesday, Olympia police detailed what they recovered from the vehicle after securing a search warrant. Police found about 84.6 grams of meth, 18.3 grams of heroin, 215.1 grams of powdered fentanyl, 68 fentanyl pills, 160 Xanax pills, scales and other drug paraphernalia.
Additionally, police found three firearms. Two of the recovered firearms were reported stolen from Olympia and Lacey, according to the tweet.
The amount of fentanyl that officers recovered follows a larger trend in Thurston County. Overdose deaths in the county have increased each year since at least 2018, according to data collected by the Coroner's Office.
The main culprit has been fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that's 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and often mixed with other substances, sometimes without the user's knowledge.
Mydlar attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday. Judge John Skinder found probable cause for three new crimes and set bail at $35,000, according to court records. As of Thursday, he remained in custody at the county jail.
The Prosecuting Attorney's Office has since charged Mydlar with three counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, two counts of possessing a stolen firearm and four counts of unlawful deliver of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm.
Mydlar has three other open cases that were filed in Thurston County Superior Court in 2022.
He's previously been charged with possessing a stolen firearm and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in October 2022 as well as unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in July 2022.
Notably, he's also been charged with committing second degree robbery and unlawful imprisonment in June 2022.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation in Mydlar from the perspective of law enforcement.
The officer who spotted Mydlar's vehicle grew suspicious of it after observing multiple people walk up to vehicle for a few minutes and then leave. He eventually approached the vehicle and found Mydlar "slumped over."
The officer asked Mydlar if he needed medical assistance, but he reportedly refused. The officer then checked the vehicle's license plate history and learned it was a connected a robbery involving Mydlar from last year.
After learning about Mydlar's multiple arrest warrants, the statement says the officer called for backup. Three other officers and a sergeant arrived at the scene and attempted a "high risk" contact with Mydlar.
The officers pulled up their patrol vehicles behind Mydlar, activated their emergency lights and used a loudspeaker to hail Mydlar. He reportedly did not respond.
Eventually, the statement says an officer contacted him at his window. He initially refused to get out and spoke to the officer over a phone call.
After speaking with his mother, Mydlar reportedly got out of his vehicle at about 4:20 a.m. and officers arrested him.
While all this occurred, officers allegedly observed a handgun and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. Judge Skinder approved a search warrant at about 6:30 a.m. and the officers searched the vehicle.
During their search, the officers uncovered the items that were later shared on Twitter.
Mydlar's arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 28.
