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An Austin man who allegedly sold narcotics to a police informant on three separate occasions made his first appearance on Friday in Mower County District Court.

Tristan Douglas Deters, 48, has been charged with three counts of felony third-degree drugs – sale of a narcotic. He received additional charges of felony fifth-degree drug possession, misdemeanor theft and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to the court complaint, a confidential reliable informant (CRI) met with police on Nov. 24, 2019, about purchasing narcotics from Deters. The CRI and his vehicle were searched and he was provided with purchase money and an audio transmitter. He was then monitored as he met with Deters at a residence in the 300 block of First Street Southwest. The CRI entered the residence and gave the money to Deters, who then walked to a 1997 Chevrolet Lumina parked on Second Avenue Southeast and appeared to acquire the drugs from a subject in the car. Deters then returned to the CRI and sold him 0.233 gram of heroin. The CRI then left the location, met with police at a predetermined location and turned over the drugs.

The CRI arranged methamphetamine sales with Deters on Jan. 22, 2020, and Feb. 14, 2020. on both occasions, the CRI and his vehicle were searched and he was provided with purchase money and an audio transmitter. The CRI met with Deters, who acquired methamphetamine from a male subject at a residence in the 900 block of 14th Ave. NE on Jan 22 and an apartment house near the post office on Feb. 14. Deters sold the CRI 1.376 grams and 2.959 grams of methamphetamine respectively, which the CRI surrendered to police.

Deters was arrested on May 26 after an officer, who knew there was probable cause to arrest Deters for drug sales, spotted him in the passenger seat of a 2005 Kia Spectra in the Walmart parking lot. Deters walked into the store, then returned to the Kia, where the officer observed him squat next to the passenger side door and begin pulling what were apparently stolen items from under his shirt.

When other law enforcement arrived, they observed Deters try to conceal something before he was removed from the vehicle. Police located Deters’s wallet, approximately one gram of methamphetamine, a methamphetamine pipe, a THC vape pen and three Klonopin pills.

Deters told police he stole a watch and gloves from Walmart, but was unaware of the drugs and other contraband in the vehicle. He then changed his story and said he had recently purchased the methamphetamine and that the Klonopin pills were prescribed to him.

A Walmart manager identified a pair of gloves, two watches, and a set of headphones (valued at $127.34) that were stolen by Deters.

A review of Deters’s criminal record shows prior convictions for drug possession and financial transaction card fraud.

Deters will appear in court again on June 10.