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Sweeping SCF drug arrests - with a drive-up delivery
Eleven arrests, eight facing criminal charges
BALSAM LAKE – A multijurisdictional search warrant execution effort involving the St. Croix Valley Drug Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office and St. Croix Falls Police Department yielded a veritable bounty of drugs, alleged users and alleged methamphetamine-distribution people and paraphernalia last week in St. Croix Falls.
According to the probable cause report filed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and court records since the arrests, there were several people affected by the Wednesday, Feb. 26, sweep, which led to the arrest of 11 people and criminal charges against eight of them at press time.
The search found a number of people either sleeping at or living in the home just off Hwy. 8 in St. Croix Falls, which belongs to Tryn Johnson, 64. He was found to have methamphetamine in his wallet, and a variety of meth, marijuana, paraphernalia and Schedule II narcotic pills were found throughout the home and in his room.
All told, nine people were found in the Johnson home, with several people living in a crawl space below. Eight people were later charged with a variety of criminal allegations, including several for meth possession with intention to distribute. However, several people initially taken into custody and placed under arrest have yet to be charged in the early-morning warrant execution, and will not yet be named.
Arrested and charged were Scott Hanestad, 48, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, in an upstairs bedroom; Aaron Kobs, 44, New Richmond, from the main level bathroom; a basement living area also housed several people, several found to be in possession of a variety of drugs, including meth.
People found in the lower basement level and charged included Shelby O’Brien, 24, Siren; Chanclee E. Kempf, 35, St. Croix Falls, and Kevin L. Brahs, 48, Anoka, Minnesota.
In total, the search warrant led to the discovery of over 7.6 grams of meth in the house, and another 1.6 grams from people or in the basement, resulting in over a dozen felony charges, and several misdemeanors, but the search wasn’t done.
The search was underway when another vehicle arrived, proving to have even more meth and related distribution items. Hailey Anderson, 33, Roberts, was behind the wheel and was taken into custody and later charged along with her passenger, Nathan Kammerud, 35, Milltown. Both were allegedly found to be in possession of meth, paraphernalia and evidence consistent with distribution. The Anderson/Kammerud car contained another 15 grams of meth and paraphernalia.
The homeowner, Johnson, was later charged with felony maintaining a drug trafficking house, as a second and subsequent offense and as a repeater. He is also facing a felony possession of meth as a repeater charge, and misdemeanor paraphernalia charge. He has a preliminary hearing set for Thursday, March 5, and has a $2,500 cash bond. That hearing is where the judge will decide if the state has enough evidence to bind the charges over to trial. Johnson has a noted history involving meth and drug crimes, going back two decades, to a conviction that led to eight years of prison time, and another more recent jail term from drug and traffic charges in 2017 that led to a plea deal and guilty plea to felony bail jumping, resulting in a 120-day jail sentence.
Charges were filed last week against many of the other people found in the Johnson home: Hanestad was charged with felony possession of meth, as a party to a crime, as well as misdemeanor bail jumping. He has a preliminary hearing on March 17 and is being held on a $1,500 signature bond.
Brahs was charged with felony meth possession, party to a crime, as well as three felony charges of bail jumping, and several misdemeanor charges, including possession of marijuana, and paraphernalia possession, both as a party to a crime. Brahs has open cases in Dunn County and is being held on a $5,000 cash bond, appearing after press time on March 3.
O’Brien was charged with felony meth possession, also as a repeater, with a preliminary hearing also set after press time on March 3. In her charges it is noted that she also had a warrant from Burnett County and also admitted to police that she had meth under her clothing, totaling another 2.3 grams.
Kammerud was charged with felony meth possession with intent to distribute, as both a repeater and as a second or subsequent offense. He also faces misdemeanor paraphernalia possession, as a repeater, and is being held on a $3,500 cash bond, appearing in court on March 3.
Anderson was being held on a $5,000 cash bond after being charged with felony meth possession with intent to distribute, as a party to a crime, as a second or subsequent offense. She is also charged with felony bail jumping and misdemeanor paraphernalia possession, as party to a crime, appearing March 3 in court for her preliminary hearing.
Kempf was being held on a minimal cash bond for party to a crime charges of felony marijuana possession, as a second or more offense, and misdemeanor paraphernalia charges.
Kobs was not charged with any felonies, but faces five misdemeanor charges of bail jumping and possession of paraphernalia as a party to a crime, with an initial appearance slated for March 17, and no bond amount. Three other people were named in the report but were not yet charged at press time.
BALSAM LAKE – A multijurisdictional search warrant execution effort involving the St. Croix Valley Drug Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office and St. Croix Falls Police Department yielded a veritable bounty of drugs, alleged users and alleged methamphetamine-distribution people and paraphernalia last week in St. Croix Falls.
According to the probable cause report filed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and court records since the arrests, there were several people affected by the Wednesday, Feb. 26, sweep, which led to the arrest of 11 people and criminal charges against eight of them at press time.
The search found a number of people either sleeping at or living in the home just off Hwy. 8 in St. Croix Falls, which belongs to Tryn Johnson, 64. He was found to have methamphetamine in his wallet, and a variety of meth, marijuana, paraphernalia and Schedule II narcotic pills were found throughout the home and in his room.
All told, nine people were found in the Johnson home, with several people living in a crawl space below. Eight people were later charged with a variety of criminal allegations, including several for meth possession with intention to distribute. However, several people initially taken into custody and placed under arrest have yet to be charged in the early-morning warrant execution, and will not yet be named.
Arrested and charged were Scott Hanestad, 48, Cottage Grove, Minnesota, in an upstairs bedroom; Aaron Kobs, 44, New Richmond, from the main level bathroom; a basement living area also housed several people, several found to be in possession of a variety of drugs, including meth.
People found in the lower basement level and charged included Shelby O’Brien, 24, Siren; Chanclee E. Kempf, 35, St. Croix Falls, and Kevin L. Brahs, 48, Anoka, Minnesota.
In total, the search warrant led to the discovery of over 7.6 grams of meth in the house, and another 1.6 grams from people or in the basement, resulting in over a dozen felony charges, and several misdemeanors, but the search wasn’t done.
The search was underway when another vehicle arrived, proving to have even more meth and related distribution items. Hailey Anderson, 33, Roberts, was behind the wheel and was taken into custody and later charged along with her passenger, Nathan Kammerud, 35, Milltown. Both were allegedly found to be in possession of meth, paraphernalia and evidence consistent with distribution. The Anderson/Kammerud car contained another 15 grams of meth and paraphernalia.
The homeowner, Johnson, was later charged with felony maintaining a drug trafficking house, as a second and subsequent offense and as a repeater. He is also facing a felony possession of meth as a repeater charge, and misdemeanor paraphernalia charge. He has a preliminary hearing set for Thursday, March 5, and has a $2,500 cash bond. That hearing is where the judge will decide if the state has enough evidence to bind the charges over to trial. Johnson has a noted history involving meth and drug crimes, going back two decades, to a conviction that led to eight years of prison time, and another more recent jail term from drug and traffic charges in 2017 that led to a plea deal and guilty plea to felony bail jumping, resulting in a 120-day jail sentence.
Charges were filed last week against many of the other people found in the Johnson home: Hanestad was charged with felony possession of meth, as a party to a crime, as well as misdemeanor bail jumping. He has a preliminary hearing on March 17 and is being held on a $1,500 signature bond.
Brahs was charged with felony meth possession, party to a crime, as well as three felony charges of bail jumping, and several misdemeanor charges, including possession of marijuana, and paraphernalia possession, both as a party to a crime. Brahs has open cases in Dunn County and is being held on a $5,000 cash bond, appearing after press time on March 3.
O’Brien was charged with felony meth possession, also as a repeater, with a preliminary hearing also set after press time on March 3. In her charges it is noted that she also had a warrant from Burnett County and also admitted to police that she had meth under her clothing, totaling another 2.3 grams.
Kammerud was charged with felony meth possession with intent to distribute, as both a repeater and as a second or subsequent offense. He also faces misdemeanor paraphernalia possession, as a repeater, and is being held on a $3,500 cash bond, appearing in court on March 3.
Anderson was being held on a $5,000 cash bond after being charged with felony meth possession with intent to distribute, as a party to a crime, as a second or subsequent offense. She is also charged with felony bail jumping and misdemeanor paraphernalia possession, as party to a crime, appearing March 3 in court for her preliminary hearing.
Kempf was being held on a minimal cash bond for party to a crime charges of felony marijuana possession, as a second or more offense, and misdemeanor paraphernalia charges.
Kobs was not charged with any felonies, but faces five misdemeanor charges of bail jumping and possession of paraphernalia as a party to a crime, with an initial appearance slated for March 17, and no bond amount. Three other people were named in the report but were not yet charged at press time.
Reader Comments
Robert Peterson • [email protected]MAR 05 • As a Grandparent and I think I can safely say on Behalf of many Grandparents and Parents in the area Would Like to Thank all Law Enforcement involved in the above Bust not only did they take it off the streets but saved alot of lives again Thank You All and God Bless.
Joy • [email protected]
MAR 04 • Polk county just like EC county meth head losers