Grand Forks man charged with fentanyl trafficking changes his plea

Oct. 17—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man charged with fentanyl possession with intent to manufacture or deliver changed his plea to guilty on Monday, Oct. 17.

For the Class B felony of possession of fentanyl with intent to manufacture or deliver, Joseph Michael Hitzman, 20, was sentenced to eight years in prison with five years suspended, leaving him three years to serve before release. He has credit for 88 days served.

Hitzman lwas stopped by the Grand Forks Police Department on July 22 after a traffic violation. According to an affidavit in the case, Hitzman was one of three people in the vehicle; the other two were juveniles.

Officer John Klingbell, who conducted the stop, asked the occupants about vaping products he observed in the vehicle. He collected the vapes as well as a smoking bowl which had an odor of marijuana, according to an affidavit. After retrieving the marijuana paraphernalia, the GFPD developed probable cause to search the vehicle.

In doing so, the GFPD located a bag containing a significant amount of cash as well as a glass jar of M30 pills. In a plastic container, the GFPD found a quarter of an M30 pill. Tin foil was also located, which Klingbell noted in an affidavit as commonly used in trafficking narcotics. Klingbell determined the pills to be counterfeit M30s, or fentanyl.

Hitzman admitted the bag and all of its contents were his, according to an affidavit.

According to court statements on Monday, Oct. 17, the cash found in Hitzman's bag was determined to be approximately $4,923. The glass jar was determined to contain a total of 43.25 fentanyl pills. An additional $818 was located on Hitzman when the GFPD searched him.

Hitzman did not argue for a downward sentence, despite his ability to do so being a condition of the proposed plea agreement.

Following his release, Hitzman will be on supervised probation for two years.