Court news: Assault charge dropped against DL woman

A felony assault charge has been dropped in Becker County District Court against Morning Star Bellcourt, 63, of Detroit Lakes.

According to court records, on Nov. 30 she called law enforcement to her residence, saying that a male relative had a billy club and was tearing up the apartment.

Officers found the relative, who was calm and well-behaved and who told them Bellcourt had been drinking and became hostile, according to court records. He was talking to his girlfriend on a FaceTime video call and Bellcourt threw a tomahawk at him, he said. It landed at his feet, and the girlfriend witnessed it during the FaceTime call, according to court records.

“After further investigation and witness interviews, the state can no longer sustain its burden of proof at trial,” the Becker County Attorney’s Office said in an April 30 letter to the court.

On June 10, an order for protection was canceled and charges of felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor domestic assault were dismissed.

Jayson Robert Annette, 32, of Ponsford was charged in Becker County District Court with felony violation of a no-contact order and felony fifth-degree assault.

According to court records, on May 30 a White Earth police officer was called to a domestic dispute in Pine Point.

In spite of a no-contact order, Annette was at the residence and, in spite of a no-drink order, he was intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .25%, over three times the legal limit for driving.

While he was outside trying to hide from police, Annette grabbed a boy’s cellphone and threw it into the trees because the flashlight application was on, according to court records. He then grabbed the boy’s hand and squeezed hard, causing lasting pain.

Annette was arrested and taken to jail. On June 2, District Judge Jay Carlson set cash bail at $2,000 or bond at $20,000, with standard conditions of release, or bond at $50,000 with no conditions.

Christin Lea Bellanger, 29, of Detroit Lakes was charged in Becker County District Court with felony debit card fraud and misdemeanor theft.

According to court records, Bellanger is accused of using a woman’s Social Security debit card information to purchase $190 worth of goods on April 30 and $233 worth of items on May 1, both at a Central Market self-checkout register.

Bellanger had formerly shopped for the woman, using her debit card with permission, and continued to use the debit card information to make purchases even after the woman terminated the relationship and got her card back.

On June 4, District Judge Jay Carlson issued a summons for Bellanger to appear in court, at a future date that has not yet been specified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eric William Bankey, 19, of rural Waubun was charged in Becker County District Court with felony fifth-degree controlled substance crime and two gross misdemeanor counts of DWI.

According to court records, at 8:20 p.m. June 2, a White Earth police officer was dispatched on the report of an unresponsive man in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in a roadway in Becker County.

Bankey admitted drinking six beers, failed field sobriety tests, and was taken to jail, where his blood alcohol level tested at 0.16% about two hours after the initial police contact. A bindle of Fentanyl was found in the center console of the vehicle he was in.

On June 4, District Judge Jay Carlson set cash bail at $300 or bond at $3,000, with standard conditions of release, or bond at $15,000 with no conditions.

Jeffrey Scott Gunderson, 26, of Detroit Lakes was charged in Becker County District Court with felony third-degree burglary and felony counterfeiting currency.

According to court records, on June 4 he tried to use a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for merchandise at the self-checkout at Central Market. He was caught after the machine refused to accept the bill and an employee came over to help. A police officer arrived and found a second counterfeit $20 bill in his pocket. The bill had the same serial number as the first bill, and black marker had been used to cover over the words “Bill not real.”

Gunderson was the subject of a no-trespass order at Central Market issued on Jan. 22, 2020, and in effect for one year.

On June 8, District Judge Gretchen Thilmony set cash bail at $1,000 or bond at $10,000, with standard conditions of release, or bond at $20,000 with no conditions.

Annie Rose Krueger, 26, of Bismarck, N.D., was charged in Becker County District Court with felony theft of a motor vehicle.

According to court records, an Audubon man gave her permission to use his vehicle, to be returned by May 23.

She failed to return it, and as of June 9 the vehicle was still missing and her whereabouts were unknown.

On June 9, a warrant for her arrest was issued by District Judge Jay Carlson.

Kevin George Clark, 56, of Detroit Lakes was charged in Becker County District Court with felony failure to register his address after being listed as a predatory offender.

He was found to be helping to remodel a house while living with a woman and child in Callaway in violation of sexual offender requirements, since he is not allowed to be in the same residence as a child, according to court records.

Clark’s listed address was in Detroit Lakes, but residents there said he had not been living there.

He was convicted of failure to register his address in November of 2018 and is on supervised probation. His probation officer said he had reported living at two addresses, in Callaway and Detroit Lakes, but failed to officially register both addresses.

On June 9, District Judge Jay Carlson issued a summons for Clark to appear in court, at a future date that has not yet been specified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gabriel Allen Avery, 33, of rural Detroit Lakes was charged in Becker County District Court with felony fourth-degree assaulting a peace officer (through bodily fluids) and gross misdemeanor physical assault of a peace officer.

According to court records, on April 27, deputies on a welfare check found Avery extremely intoxicated and took him to a hospital for clearance to be checked into Pine Manor treatment center in Nevis. At the hospital, Avery threw a container of his urine at the deputy, splattering his bare arm.

On June 10, District Judge Gretchen Thilmony issued a summons for Avery to appear in court, at a future date that has not yet been specified because of the COVID-19 pandemic.