A Minnesota man with a history of convictions related to controlled substances is now facing new felony charges. According to media sources, the 36-year-old man was charged with storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child and drug possession in the fifth degree following a visit to his home by a Minnesota Department of Corrections agent and a Fairmont police officer on Nov. 7. The officer came to the home at the request of the corrections agent.
The law enforcement officials arrived at the home in the 1000 block of North Prairie Avenue at 3:55 p.m. Reports indicate that the man cooperated when the officer and agent asked to enter the home and look in the basement. Both officials reportedly observed a beer and an open bottle of vodka on the basement steps. Once downstairs, they found a number of items that indicated a possible connection with methamphetamine, including bluish-colored water in a glass bowl sitting on a nightstand next to a can of butane and a green pipe.
Later, white residue that was found in the glass bowl and the green pipe both tested positive for meth. Additional paraphernalia found in the garage tested positive, as well. During the investigation, the man claimed that the items belonged to an adult female who was staying in the home. However, a second adult female who was in the home at the time of the officials’ visit did not appear to fully corroborate the man’s account.
Although fifth-degree drug charges in Minnesota are reserved for the least serious drug crimes, a conviction on these charges remains life-altering. In the above-referenced case, both charges carry a $10,000 fine and a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction. In some situations, however, an attorney may be able to achieve a beneficial outcome for a charged client.
Source: Fairmont Sentinel, “Man facing felony drug charge“, Jason Sorensen, Nov. 15, 2017