Six men allegedly involved in a central Minnesota methamphetamine distribution ring were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday.
The men were charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, according to the US attorney's office in Minneapolis.
Those indicted were Glen Forehand, 31, Hawley; Jeremy Leroy Berndt, 22, Hewitt; Anthony James Rchard Jantz, 23, Menahga; Leonard Joseph Smith, 25, Ponsford; Christopher Joseph Tigges, 21, Wadena; and Kevin Michael Camacho, 27, Pine River.
Forehand, Berndt and Smith were each also charged with possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, Smith was stopped by a Minnesota Highway Patrol trooper for speeding March 2. The trooper arrested Smith for driving without insurance and having a revoked license. A subsequent search of Smith's vehicle yielded 50 grams of meth, more than 100 grams of marijuana, over $1,000 in cash and two handguns, one of which was confirmed stolen.
ADVERTISEMENT
The investigation into the meth ring culminated with the execution of seven state search warrants. A search of Berndt's residence at Hewitt resulted in the seizure of approximately 100 grams of meth, 3 pounds of marijuana, $7,500 in cash, handguns and rifles, including a Ruger 10-22 rifle reported stolen in Hubbard County in January.
A search of Smith's Ponsford residence yielded drug ledgers, ammunition and two .22-caliber pistols.
A search of Forehand's residence resulted in the seizure of $66,000 cash; $7,785 cash was seized from a Wadena house where Tigges was present; and a drug ledger and gram scale were found at Camacho's Pine River residence.
Search warrants also were executed at another Wadena house as well as a house in Staples.
If convicted, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for conspiracy. In addition, Forehand, Berndt and Smith each face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison for possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Any sentences will be determined by a judge.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, which is comprised of the Project Safe Neighborhood Task Force, the Weed and Seed Task Force, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office, the Itasca County Sheriff's Office, the White Earth Tribal Police Department, the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Minnesota State Highway Patrol; Todd, Wadena, Otter Tail and Becker County sheriff's offices and the West Central Minnesota Drug Task Force provided substantial investigation assistance.
