News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Presque Isle 89th District Court Judge Michael Ekdahl observes as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Buffalo Wirgau signs the forms waiving Jeffery Kortman’s preliminary examination.

ROGERS CITY — Jeffrey Kortman, 63, charged with possession of multiple illegal drugs and a weapon, appeared in the Presque Isle 89th District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary examination, but that examination was waived.

Kortman is currently housed in the Presque Isle County Jail and appeared via Zoom. Defense Counsel Devin Pommerenke also appeared via Zoom.

Pommerenke informed Judge Michael Ekdahl that his client would be waiving preliminary examination. Kortman’s case will be bound over to the 53rd Circuit Court in Presque Isle.

Ekdahl repeated Kortman’s rights to a preliminary examination, and asked whether Kortman was waiving the examination freely and voluntarily, to which Kortman replied in the affirmative.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Buffalo Wirgau consented to the waiver and signed the written examination waiver form on behalf of Pommerenke and Kortman.

Kortman’s next appearance in court will be at 9 a.m. on Jan. 5 in the 53rd Circuit Court.

On June 24, Kortman was arrested when the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team (HUNT), with the assistance of the Michigan State Police (MSP) Alpena Post, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on 451 Road in Hawks Township, Presque Isle County.

The subsequent investigation led to the discovery of approximately 170 grams of suspected powder cocaine, 114 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 25 grams of crack cocaine, multiple gift cards from Dollar General ranging from $50 to $100, and $536 cash.

The investigation continued, and a consent search of Kortman’s residence was granted. Detectives seized an additional 42 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 60 grams of powder cocaine, 46 oxycodone pills, seven hydrocodone pills, an additional $300 in cash, hundreds of individual baggies commonly used for packaging narcotics, and a loaded unregistered handgun. The total amount of narcotics seized from the vehicle and the residence were approximately: 231 grams of powder cocaine, 156.1 grams of methamphetamine, 50.2 grams of crack, seven hydrocodone pills, 46 oxycodone pills, $836 in cash, and an unregistered handgun. The total weight of all narcotics seized comes to 437.3 grams, which is 0.96 pounds of cocaine, crack and methamphetamine.