FRUITA, Colo., June 24, 2025 — A months-long narcotics investigation culminated Monday with the arrest of a Fruita resident on multiple felony drug counts after authorities executed a search warrant at a home on East Aspen Avenue, police said.
Detectives with the Fruita Police Department, assisted by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and several regional agencies, served the warrant at 526 E. Aspen Ave. on the afternoon of June 23. Inside the residence, officers reported finding roughly 74.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine, scales, packaging materials and surveillance equipment allegedly used to monitor approaching law enforcement.
The search was the latest step in an operation that began earlier this year and involved a series of traffic stops and covert surveillance tied to suspected drug sales at the address. Over the course of the probe, investigators say they seized more than 100 grams of methamphetamine from individuals believed to be connected to the property.
Leon Bond, 49, identified by police as the home’s sole occupant, was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility. He faces the following charges:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (¼ oz – ¼ lb) — Drug Felony 2
- Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (> 4 g Schedule I/II) — Drug Felony 4
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (> 112 g) — Drug Felony 1
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia — Petty Offense
Bond remained in jail Tuesday pending an advisement hearing; bond conditions had not yet been set, according to online court records.
“This case represents months of coordinated work with our law-enforcement partners,” Fruita Police Chief Steve Ellis said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting our neighborhoods and removing dangerous drugs from our community.”
Anyone with additional information about drug activity in the area is asked to contact the Fruita Police Department’s tip line at 970-858-3008.