Court

WALKER -- Three Minneapolis residents were arrested April 20 at Walker and have been charged with felony first-degree conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime (sale).

They are believed involved in trafficking cocaine from the Twin Cities to Cass Lake, according to court records.

Officers from Leech Lake Tribal, city of Walker and Pike Bay Township police departments and Cass County Sheriff's Department collaborated in making the arrests.

Those charged include Saul Coria Sanchez, 37; Israel Padilla Sanchez, 31; and Salina Kay Goodwin, 19. They were arraigned in Cass County District Court April 22. The Sanchezes are scheduled for May 24 omnibus hearings. Goodwin is scheduled for a May 10 omnibus hearing.

The arrests followed an investigation Leech Lake Tribal Police investigators conducted into cocaine trafficking and sales in Cass Lake. Those officers believe the cocaine was being sold from a Cass Lake residence after weekly deliveries from the Twin Cities, according to court complaints.

The Leech Lake investigators contacted the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, the complaint said, and confirmed reports they received that Saul Sanchez has twice been deported in the past.

Officers believe one of the Sanchez brothers may have been the victim in a reported stabbing during an April 16 robbery reported to have occurred at a Cass Lake residence, according to the complaints filed against them. That robbery was suspected to be drug-related.

On April 20, officers tracked their movement in a pickup from Minneapolis to Motley, then north on Highway 64 to Akeley, then via Highway 34 to Walker where they were stopped, the complaint said. Also in the pickup with those charged were a driver and a second woman who reportedly was just getting a ride to Cass Lake.

Officers recovered 26 grams of what they believe to be cocaine from under the pickup dashboard. The package has been forwarded to Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to be tested.

No charges have been filed at this time against the driver, the additional passenger, owner of the Cass Lake home where the cocaine reportedly was being sold or any possible distributors the Sanchezes may have hired in Cass Lake.

County Attorney Earl Maus said Wednesday the case is still under investigation. He said that investigation will determine whether any additional charges will be filed.

Cass court

WALKER -- The following appeared recently in Cass County District Court:

Dawn Marie Davidson (also known as Dawn Hilliard and Dawn Gordon), 37, Shevlin, was sentenced for an amended felony worthless checks to 45 days community service work, fined $500 and placed on five years supervised probation.

Nichole Lydia Dauphinais, 29, Hill City, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor DWI to 30 days jail or 60 days electronic home monitoring, fined $1,000 and placed on three years supervised probation.

Dennis Lee Christianson, 56, Superior, Wis., formerly of Longville, was ordered to serve an additional 30 days jail for violating probation he is serving for gross misdemeanor test refusal.

Crow Wing court

The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:

Bradley Walter Malloy, 39, Brainerd, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor driving after license cancellation to 100 days jail, placed on two years supervised probation and fined $500.

Michael James Vanwert, 25, Waubun, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor refusal to test to 30 days jail, placed on three years supervised probation and fined $900.

Jennifer Marie Eue, 28, Brainerd, was sentenced for offering a forged check to one day jail, placed on five years supervised probation and fined $50.

Scott Allan McQueen, 33, Eveleth, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor issuance of dishonored check. He was fined $500.

Casey Ray Farnsworth, 23, Crosby, was sentenced for gross misdemeanor giving a false name to a peace officer to 202 days jail and fined $50.

Underage consumption

The following recently were sentenced in Crow Wing District Court for misdemeanor underage consumption:

Christopher Brian Kostek, 20, Brainerd, was fined $500.

Anthony Paul Groebner, 19, Coon Rapids, was fined $100.