Cottonwood AZ (November 6, 2020) – On October 28, 2020, around 1:15 PM, a YCSO deputy stopped a silver passenger car for a moving violation near the intersection of Ash Street and 12th Street, Cottonwood. During a conversation with the driver, 24-year-old Nathaniel Wolf from Cottonwood, Wolf’s behavior led the deputy to believe Wolf was concerned about contraband, possibly narcotics, being found in the vehicle. Wolf became very argumentative and initially declined a consent to search.
Based on the deputy’s reasonable suspicions the vehicle contained illegal narcotics, a YCSO K9 was requested to conduct a ‘free air’ sniff. While waiting for the K9, Wolf became ill complaining of chest pains, etc., but denying he had swallowed anything. Paramedics were called to the scene and Wolf was eventually transported to a local hospital.
The K9 deputy arrived and his K9 partner alerted to the odor of illicit narcotics in Wolf’s car. Deputies then conducted a search for the origin of the odor. A store-bought coffee cup was found, and when the coffee was poured out the deputy located a double cylinder-shaped container with approximately 30 blue fentanyl pills and a piece of tin foil with fentanyl residue.
A detective from the Partner Against Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (PANT) was requested since the investigation involved apparent fentanyl sales. Wolf declined to speak with the detective at the hospital. About 1 hour later, Wolf was scheduled for discharge and an officer from the Cottonwood Police Department along with PANT detectives arrived and arrested Wolf for Possession of Narcotic Drugs for Sale (fentanyl), Possession of Narcotic Drug (fentanyl), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Wolf was booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center on the indicated charges and is currently held on a $35,000 bond.