About to be caught with stolen property and meth, two Detroit Lakes men are accused of trying to create a diversion through a fake armed robbery phone call to police in Watertown, S.D.
Steven Barnes, 30, and Stephan Bergeron, 37, both of Detroit Lakes, were charged separately with making felony terroristic threats, misdemeanor making a false police report, felony possession of stolen property, felony ingesting a controlled substance, felony possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Alicia Mitzel, 19, of Detroit Lakes, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
About 8:39 p.m. on March 2, Watertown police officers responded to a report of possible drug activity, and made contact with several people in a parking lot, according to a Watertown Police Department news release.
While officers were investigating, two men left and allegedly made a call to the Watertown Dispatch Center, claiming that gunmen were entering a local business.
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Officers were able to quickly determine that it was a false report. Officers later arrested Barnes and Bergeron, believed responsible for the false call, for terroristic threats and false reporting.
Officers continued their investigation and executed search warrants on three cars, a camper, and an Ice Castle fish house. They found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during the investigation and search. The Ice Castle had been stolen from North Dakota.
The investigation is ongoing, according to the news release.
