CASS COUNTY — Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch reports that during the past year - pursuant to a statewide, large scale, ongoing investigation into the sales and use of controlled substances - investigators with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies have conducted numerous traffic stops and search warrants targeting the seizure of methamphetamine.
The course of this investigation has led to four first-degree drug arrests, one second-degree drug arrest, one third-degree drug arrest and eight fifth-degree drug arrests in multiple counties, a news release said.
To date, there has been more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine seized, as well as more than $11,000 in U.S. currency seized.
The case is ongoing and formal charges are pending for numerous individuals in multiple counties.
Throughout the course of the investigation, a 35-year-old Hackensack man has been identified as a leader of several of these cases, the news release said. The investigation has revealed he allegedly used individuals to transport quantities of methamphetamine from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area to northern Minnesota for the purpose of sale.
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Formal charges are pending in Cass County, as well as other counties. Burch said these are still active cases, with investigations ongoing.
The statewide investigation led by Cass County has been a cooperation of numerous agencies, including the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota State Patrol, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office and Crow Wing County Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division.
Burch said many of these investigations start with an anonymous tip and encourages those with information to submit tips and information to law enforcement through Crime Stoppers of Minnesota. Tips can be submitted safely and anonymously through the website at http://crimestoppersmn.org/ or by calling 1-800-222-8477.
