Missoula Man Asleep in a Subaru Had Two Mint Tins Full of Meth

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On July 22, 2026, Missoula Police Department officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Great Northern Ave. for a report of a person to be removed from a property for trespassing. The 911 caller stated they were the manager of the complex and requested a male to be removed. The caller said the male had been on the property all day in a Subaru Outback. The caller said he asked the male to leave, but the male refused. The caller also believed the male was possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  

Officers arrived and located the vehicle. One officer noted the driver’s side door was open and the male was asleep behind the wheel. The officer observed a silver mint tin that appeared to be duct-taped around the outside. The officer noted that through his training and experience as a police officer, it is common for people who use illicit drugs to store them inside containers such as the one he observed.  

The officer waited for another officer to arrive and then announced himself as a police officer and told the male to wake up and step out of the vehicle. The male inquired why and was informed that he was trespassing. 

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The officer watched as the male sat up in the seat and placed his left hand over the tin container, as if he was attempting to conceal it. As the male began to stand, the officer watched as the male slowly slid the tin around his leg and behind him. While the male was standing, the officer observed the male attempt to stash the tin between the driver’s seat and the B pillar of the car.  

When the officer asked what was in the male’s hand, the male displayed a pair of sunglasses. The male was then restrained in handcuffs and identified himself as 64-year-old Leslie Roat.  When asked, Roat denied using opiates. When asked if he had recently used narcotics, Roat stated, “I don’t do narcotics.” When asked what was contained in the silver tin, Roat stated, “um, well probably, um, crystal meth.” 

Another officer asked Roat if he was okay with him entering the vehicle to grab the tin. Roat was okay with the officer retrieving it and agreed he could open the tin. Inside the tin, the officer observed two clear plastic baggies of methamphetamine. Roat stated he had used meth the night prior and was then placed under arrest.  

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

Roat was searched incident to arrest, and a black mint tin was located. When asked, Roat stated “probably the same thing” would be inside the tin. Roat consented to officers opening the tin. The officer observed four clear baggies with crystal methamphetamine in them along with a baggie of marijuana. The officer also located two green zippered money bags on Roat’s person, both of which contained considerable cash. The officer also saw a holstered firearm in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.  

The officer noted that some of the baggies in the tins appeared to have markings of weights and names on them. The officer knows through training and experience that it is common for those who deal in dangerous drugs to weigh out the amounts they intend to sell and occasionally mark the baggies with the weights. The officer also knows that those who deal in dangerous drugs will occasionally label bags with the names of individuals that they intend to sell specific baggies of drugs to. The officer also knows that it is common for individuals who deal in dangerous drugs to be armed to defend the drugs and money of their enterprise. 

Roat is currently being charged with felony criminal possession with intent to distribute. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.