Police catch a man at 7-Eleven buying alcohol for minors, then find 34g of fentanyl, 32g of meth, and 25g of marijuana in a fanny pack
- Travis Uresk
- Jul 14
- 4 min read
| by Travis Uresk 7-14-25 |
| Maeser, Ut. | July 13th, 2025 |
At 11 PM, a Ford Expedition entered the Maeser 7-Eleven parking, stopped, and then moved and parked in front of the building West of the convenience store.
A man got out of the front passenger seat and stood outside the vehicle, looking as if he was waiting or watching for someone. The male got back inside the Expedition with several other individuals. The deputy continued to watch this suspicious behavior.
A short time later, a motorcycle pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot, stopping on the west side of the store. The same individual who had exited the Expedition earlier walked over to the motorcyclist, hugged him, appeared to have a short conversation, and then returned to the Ford.
Sgt. Watkins watched as the motorcyclist, later identified as 42-year-old Daniel Patrick Engle, entered the store and returned to his motorcycle carrying a bag containing what appeared to be gold or orangish-colored cans.
Daniel put the bag on his handlebars as the Expedition began to back out of the parking stall and pull up where the motorcycle was parked.
The same male got out of the Expedition, spoke briefly with Daniel, grabbed the bag, and handed it to someone on the driver’s side of the Expedition. The same male walked back to Daniel and appeared to shake Daniel's hand or engage in a similar interaction before the individual returned to the Ford Expedition. The vehicle left the parking lot and traveled east on 500 North.
Sgt. Watkins believed that an exchange had taken place where Daniel had purchased alcohol and contributed it to underage individuals.
Sgt. Watkins pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot to speak with Daniel, who was still on his motorcycle. The deputy pulled up and told him to shut off the bike.
The Sergeant told Daniel he believed he had purchased alcohol and had given it to minors. Daniel admitted to doing so and said, “We were kids once.”
Deputy Young, who stopped the Ford Expedition, informed Sgt. Watkins that the alcohol supplied to these individuals was all under the age of 18. He located four cans of Arnold Palmer's during the search, and it was confirmed during his investigation that Daniel Engle supplied alcohol to individuals 18 years of age and younger.
Sgt Watkins asked for identification, and Daniel handed him a passport. His behavior appeared suspicious and concerning, so the deputy asked if he had any weapons on him. Daniel responded by saying something to the effect, “Just give me a ticket so I can go.”
Daniel was asked to step off the motorcycle, but he hesitated. He was also hesitant when the deputy wanted to conduct a Terry frisk for weapons, so another officer was asked to respond.
Before another deputy arrived, Daniel told Sgt. Watkins had a syringe and some other drugs on him. He stated he was going to leave town and get away.
Deputy Anderton arrived, and Daniel was placed under arrest for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Deputies located a fanny pack under Daniel's layers of clothing, which contained three separate types of drugs: 32.29 grams of methamphetamine, 25.62 grams of marijuana, and 34.96 grams of fentanyl pills wrapped in plastic and tied with a knot. Also, a bag of what appeared to be new syringes was with the illegal narcotics.
Additionally, Sgt. Watkins found a large amount of cash in Daniel's wallet, which was later counted and seized, totaling $5,801.39.
After advising Daniel of his Miranda Rights, he admitted to possessing the drugs and stated that he was going to an undisclosed location because he was having a rough time and planned to spend a week there.
Daniel's phone was seized because of the amount of drugs found, and the Sergeant's experience was indicative of someone possessing illegal narcotics with intent to distribute. The amounts of drugs located are not for personal usage.
Especially considering the large amount of cash found in Daniel's possession. When asked about his employment at the jail, he stated that he was not employed but later claimed to be self-employed.
At the scene, Daniel was informed that both of his cellphones would be seized, and Sgt. Watkins asked for the passcode so they could be put in airplane mode. Daniel refused to provide the passcode and stated he wanted to speak with an attorney.
The motorcycle Daniel was driving did not have a license plate, and the VIN showed the motorcycle was registered to another person.
Daniel claimed he just got it running but did not have it registered, claiming he had insurance. A routine check found this motorcycle was insured.
Daniel Engle was booked into the Uintah County jail on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, failure to register a vehicle, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
All articles from 1nationjustice.com are based on affidavits of probable cause reports written by the officers. If you would like, you can get a copy of the report from the website below. It does cost money to get on the site and to open every document you want to read.
