Samara Twinn

A Minot woman has been sentenced to serve 20 days after entering a change of plea to a charge of conspiracy to deliver fentanyl.

Samara Janelle Twinn, 21, Minot, entered a change of plea in North Central District Court on Oct. 30, pleading guilty to the Class B felony. A Class C felony count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia-second offense was dismissed.

According to court documents, in July, Twinn was in contact with an undercover Ward County narcotics officer on a messaging app and negotiated the sale of 40 fentanyl tablets for $600. After an aborted meetup on July 16, Twinn and the task force officer agreed to a purchase of 45 tablets on July 17 at a North Broadway business.

Twinn arrived at the agreed upon location in a vehicle driven by Chrissy Friday and an associate Keith Belgard. Twinn entered the task force officer’s vehicle but did not have the fentanyl in her possession.

According to the affidavit, Twinn agreed to take $300 of the agreed upon $600 and would receive the rest after the fentanyl was provided. Twinn had an active arrest warrant at the time and was arrested after she and Friday attempted to flee the scene.

Friday was eventually located at a nearby business, and claimed after being mirandized that they were there to “rob” somebody, and that fentanyl paraphernalia was inside the vehicle. Twinn, Belgarde and Friday were arrested and charged with possession of fentanyl paraphernalia and conspiracy to deliver. Friday was also charged with possession of fentanyl after a fentanyl tablet was located on her. Twinn and Belgarde both had prior convictions for dangerous drugs.

Judge Douglas Mattson sentenced Twinn to serve five years with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with all but 20 days suspended. Twinn received credit for 17 days already served and two days of earned good time. Mattson ordered Twinn to complete two years of supervised probation, complete a chemical dependency evaluation, and to enroll and complete the North Dakota Adult and Teen Challenge Program. Twinn was assessed $775 in court fines and fees.