Court news: Mahnomen man gets 34 months for drugs after high-speed chase

Ian George Sargent, 24, of rural Mahnomen has been sentenced in Becker County District Court on a felony third-degree controlled substance charge.

According to court records, on March 2, a White Earth police officer observed a vehicle traveling 45 mph in a 30-mph zone on Mission Road in Becker County.

The officer pulled the vehicle over, but as he exited his squad car, the vehicle sped away on Becker County Road 21. A pursuit followed, with speeds reaching over 100 mph for over five miles.

Another officer was later able to use a PIT maneuver to force the vehicle to a stop. The driver was identified as Sargent. He had a small bag that was buckled around his person. Sargent and the bag were removed, he was arrested, and inside the bag, officers found a white crystal substance and a tannish brown substance mixed into one substance, which field-tested positive for heroin and methamphetamine. The total weight was 4 grams.

On Aug. 17, Becker County District Judge Michael Fritz sentenced him to 34 months in prison at St. Cloud. He was fined $50 plus $200 in court fees and ordered to pay $300 restitution.

A felony charge of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle was dropped in a plea agreement.

Gregory Gilbert Ashley, 32, of rural Ogema has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and misdemeanor fleeing on foot.

According to court records, on Sept. 7, a White Earth police officer saw Ashley driving a Black Dodge Caravan with White Earth tribal plates. Ashley had several warrants for his arrest, including one for failure to register as a predatory offender.

Later that day, another tribal officer saw the Caravan stop at a stop sign on Bear Clan Drive and Becker County Road 34. The minivan then pulled onto County Road 34, passing the officer’s squad car, and he recognized Ashley behind the wheel.

The officer tried to pull Ashley over, but he wouldn't stop, instead turning onto Lynx Lane and continuing to flee. He then pulled into a driveway on Lynx Lane, exited the vehicle, and began running on foot. The officer chased Ashley on foot for a short period of time before going back to the vehicle to attend to a female passenger. A search of the Caravan turned up a credit card with Ashley’s name on it in the front center console and mail with his name on it in a bag in the back seat.

On Sept. 20 District Judge Jade Rosenfeldt issued a warrant for his arrest.

Kullen Jerome Carney, 26, of Moorhead has been charged in Becker County District Court with two felony counts of DWI and a misdemeanor marijuana charge.

According to court records, at 12:36 a.m. on Sept. 19, a Becker County deputy responded to a report of a “wrong-way driver” going east in the westbound lane of Highway 10 between Lake Park and Audubon.

The deputy saw the vehicle coming towards him eastbound in the west bound lane near the intersection of Highway 10 and Becker County Road 15. He turned on his emergency lights and his siren and the vehicle, a black Mazda CX3, slowed and nearly came to a stop in front of him. The Mazda slowly traveled past the squad car and eventually stopped.

Carney told the deputy he didn’t realize he was driving on the wrong side of the highway. His breath smelled of alcohol and he was slurring his words. Asked if he had been drinking, Carney replied that he had not drunk “that much.”

At the jail, he agreed to take a breath test and the result was .22% blood alcohol content at 1:09 a.m. A search of the Mazda revealed a glass smoking device and a black jar with a sandwich bag of marijuana. The marijuana weighed approximately 36.71 grams with packaging.

On Sept. 21, cash bail for Carney was set at $1,000 or bond at $10,000, under standard conditions of release, or $15,000 bond with no conditions.

He posted a $15,000 bond the same day.

Pete Alan Thompson, 38, of rural Waubun has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony theft.

According to court records, on Sept. 15, a rural Becker County man reported that Thompson had come to his residence and taken a 2006 Buick Lucerne without permission that belonged to his aunt. A White Earth police officer spoke to the aunt, who said that she believed Thompson must have earlier taken an extra set of keys without her knowledge.

Shortly after the woman reported the vehicle as stolen, a tribal police officer spotted the Buick parked at a residence where Thompson was known to reside. Thompson had an active warrant for his arrest, and was staying in an RV on the property. The officer searched the RV, found Thompson, and arrested him.

On Sept. 16, cash bail for Thompson was set at $1,000 or bond at $10,000, under standard conditions of release, or $20,000 bond with no conditions. He posted a $10,000 bond Sept. 21.

• RELATED: See more Becker County District Court and Federal Court cases

Jordan Christopher Myers, 40, of Moorhead has been charged in Becker County District Court with being a fugitive from justice from another state, a felony.

According to court records, on Sept. 13, he was arrested in Becker County, on an outstanding warrant from Cass County, North Dakota, for a probation violation. He admits being the same person in the warrant, and Cass County authorities confirmed they would extradite Myers. On Sept. 16, he waived his right to an extradition hearing and agreed to be transported back to North Dakota to face the charge.

Tabashish Anamiki Ogitchida, also known as Benjamin James Bellanger, 44, of rural Ogema has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony threats of violence and misdemeanor obstructing the legal process.

According to court records, on Sept. 15 a White Earth police officer was dispatched to a welfare check at the Roundhouse in the village of White Earth. Upon arrival he saw a man kneeling next to Ogitchida (his brother), who appeared to be very intoxicated, slurred speech, and poor balance. The brother told the officer that Ogitchida had been drinking.

As the officer spoke to Ogitchida, he became loud and agitated. He took a capped needle out of his front pocket and spoke about using drugs.

Informed that Ogitchida probation officer wanted him picked up in light of his behavior, the officer told him he was under arrest.

The officer tried to get him to the squad car, but Ogitchida started walking into the road. The officer grabbed his arm and held it behind his back as Ogitchida went down to a kneeling position in the middle of the road, and would not voluntarily get into the squad car.

The officer applied multiple wrist locks, but Ogitchida would not comply, until the officer was finally able to get him into the squad car with assistance. While transporting him to the Becker County Jail, Ogitchida repeatedly made comments about “stretching (the officer) out” when the handcuffs come off, and about fighting him during future encounters. The officer asked Ogitchida if he was threatening him and he said “yes, that was a threat,” according to the criminal complaint.

On Sept. 17, cash bail for Ogitchida was set at $1,000 or bond at $10,000, under standard conditions of release, or $20,000 bond with no conditions. On Oct. 19, he was released on zero bond to the Four Winds Lodge in Brainerd to attend in-patient treatment.