A Texas dentist who reportedly told state drug enforcement officers he came to Alaska to “party” was arrested on drugs charges Tuesday after he allegedly paid to have a package containing meth mailed to a Kenai hotel.
Douglas A. Rossi, 52, tried on July 9 to pick up a package mailed from Stockton, Calif., to a Kenai hotel, three days after the package had been flagged as suspicious by a U.S. Postal Inspector at the Anchorage airport, according to an Alaska State Trooper narcotics team affidavit filed with the Kenai court.
Investigators who searched the package — which was scheduled for delivery on July 7 — allegedly found 13.4 grams of a crystalline substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine inside, according to the affidavit.
Rossi, who checked out of the hotel July 8, reportedly told hotel staff that he was expecting a package and to call him when it arrived, the affidavit states.
Instead, members of the Southcentral Area Narcotics team in Soldotna posing as hotel staff called Rossi — who returned to the hotel to pick up the package, according to the affidavit.
When interviewed at the hotel, Rossi reportedly told investigators that the package should have contained $800 in cash, and that he didn’t know why the sender had mailed drugs instead.
Officers who searched Rossi’s car at the hotel reported finding a sock with a medical vial needles in the vehicle. Rossi allegedly told the officers that he uses fentanyl in his dental practice, and that he must have left some vials in his scrub pockets. He reportedly said the fentanyl vials must have fallen out of his scrubs and accidentally gotten mixed in with his belongings while he was packing for his trip to Alaska, according to the affidavit.
Rossi was arrested a day later, after investigators searched his phone and allegedly found messages referring to the drug shipment and photos of receipts for cash payments made through Walmart. Rossi allegedly told investigators that had initially intended to “party” with the meth in Alaska and then possibly take some back to Texas, but that he had changed his mind. He reportedly showed investigators an email canceling the order and asking for his money back, according to the affidavit.
Rossi was charged with one count of attempted second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, a class C felony; one count of fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor; and one count of attempted fourth-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor.
He was arraigned in Kenai court and released on bond Wednesday. He is due to appear in court again July 23.
Reach Erin Thompson at ethompson@peninsulaclarion.com.
