Sonora Man Caught With Large Amount Of Fentanyl

Published Oct 10, 2026 9:02 am

Items seized during arrest—TCSO photo

Jamestown, CA – An alleged fentanyl dealer is behind bars on a $100,000 bond after a lengthy investigation led to his arrest.

The sheriff’s Tuolumne Narcotics Team (TNT) investigation centered on 40-year-old Matthew Richard Nolte, of Sonora, for the transportation and sale of fentanyl from the California Bay Area to Tuolumne County. Early Wednesday, October 7, 2026, on Highway 108 near Yosemite Junction, TNT Detectives pulled over Nolte’s vehicle after utilizing License Plate Reader technology requested from Bay Area and Central Valley agencies. A search of his vehicle uncovered around 54.8 grams of fentanyl, drug packaging materials, and a digital scale hidden inside a magnetic container attached to the vehicle.

Subsequently, Nolte was arrested for felony possession of fentanyl for sale, transportation of fentanyl for sale, transportation of fentanyl across multiple counties for sale, use of a false compartment, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Sheriff’s officials revealed, “If convicted, Nolte qualifies for a 3-year sentencing enhancement under Proposition 36 (Health and Safety Code 11370.4) for possessing and transporting over 28.5 grams (one ounce) of fentanyl.”