POCATELLO, Idaho — A 37-year-old Pocatello man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly attempting to strangle a woman and later being found with methamphetamine while in custody at the Bannock County Jail.
The suspect, Troy Leon Yancy, was arrested on Sept. 8 after a domestic violence incident in which he reportedly wrapped his arms around a woman’s neck during an argument, applying pressure so forcefully that she couldn’t call for help.
The woman managed to alert the building’s doorman by banging on the walls, prompting the man to intervene by shouting at Yancy. Yancy then released the woman, who fell to the ground, and fled the scene.
Police later found Yancy as a passenger in an unrelated traffic stop. He claimed he was trying to reach a hospital because he feared the woman was in danger. Officers arrested him on a charge of attempted strangulation and booked him into jail in the early hours of Sept. 8.
Just days later, jail deputies noticed that Yancy was behaving erratically—sweating profusely, making irrational claims about “wired underwear” and “hidden cameras,” and alternating between extreme agitation and sudden recovery. His behavior led deputies to suspect drug use.
On Sunday night, around 11:10 p.m., jail surveillance footage showed Yancy acting suspiciously, appearing to pull an item from his blanket and conceal it near his groin. A surprise search uncovered six grams of methamphetamine hidden in his underwear.
He now faces two new felony charges: possession of a controlled substance and introducing contraband into a correctional facility, in addition to the attempted strangulation charge.
At his arraignment for the initial domestic violence charge on Sept. 8, Judge Bryan K. Murray set Yancy’s bond at $75,000. At a second arraignment on Monday before Judge David A. Hooste, bond on the drug-related charges was set at $10,000.
Yancy is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 22 and Sept. 25 for preliminary hearings, during which prosecutors will attempt to elevate both cases to district court for trial.
If convicted on all current charges—including attempted strangulation, meth possession, and contraband introduction—Yancy faces up to 27 years in prison and $75,000 in fines.
Prosecutors also plan to seek a persistent violator enhancement, which could extend his sentence up to life in prison due to prior criminal convictions.
