A 30-year-old man from Red Wing remains in Goodhue County Jail after authorities set his bail at $200,000. He stands accused of bringing methamphetamine into the state and selling it primarily on the Fond du Lac Reservation according to a statement from the Cloquet Police Department. The police agency launched an investigation of the man after an informant approached law enforcement and said that the man was buying methamphetamine out of state and distributing it in the Twin Cities and Carlton County.
Cloquet Police, in partnership with multiple law enforcement agencies, investigated the alleged drug dealer for two months. The informant interacted with the suspect and arranged to buy methamphetamine. During their first transaction, the informant acquired 165 grams of methamphetamine according to investigators. During a second operation, law enforcement arrested the suspect after claiming that he sold another 940 grams of methamphetamine.
The accused man faces charges of manufacturing, selling and possessing drugs. He has a lengthy record of criminal arrests and convictions. Cases concerning controlled substances are pending against him in Pine County and St. Louis County. He has a guilty plea on record from an August 2016 arrest after a high-speed police pursuit when he allegedly threw a bag of heroin out of his car window.
Authorities often issue as many drug charges as possible at person after an arrest. A criminal defense attorney might challenge the validity of some charges if the evidence is questionable. An attorney could examine the legality of searches and seizures in an effort to dismiss evidence from a case. Legal advice could also help a defendant make a decision about a plea bargain.
Source: Duluth News Tribune, “Southern Minnesota drug bust begins in Cloquet“, Jamie Lund, Jan. 6, 2018