LARNED — A Larned man received first appearance on felony charges Monday morning after his arrest last week by Pawnee County Sheriff’s officers.

William Christopher Woods, 54, appeared in custody in the Pawnee County District Court before Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell. 

He is charged with possession of 49.4 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school (Larned High School); criminal use of an explosive; aggravated endangering a child; possession of fentanyl; possession of drug paraphernalia suitable to distribute a controlled substance; defacing identification marks of a firearm; possession of marijuana and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia suitable to ingest a controlled substance.

The charges stem from his arrest following a probable cause warrant search of his residence at 702 W. Sixth St. in Larned March 15, as a result of a two-month narcotics investigation. 

During the search, assisted by the ATF and Wichita bomb squad, the PCSO found multiple guns, drugs and explosives. Woods was arrested without incident at the time of the search warrant and is being held in the custody of the Pawnee County Sheriff in lieu of $100,000 cash or surety bond.

The investigation is ongoing.

On Monday, Judge Cowell advised Woods of his charges, the possible penalties if convicted, and his constitutional rights, including right to counsel.  

If convicted, under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines for drug offenses, Woods faces between 138-204 months (11-17 years) in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections depending on his criminal history.  

Preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 4. 

Two juveniles removed from the home during the execution of the search warrant also face pending charges.