Appeal shaves 10 months off White Earth man’s prison sentence
Spencer Charles Hanks, 35, of White Earth has been re-sentenced in Becker County District Court for felony second-degree controlled substance crime, after successfully appealing to the Minnesota Court of Appeals for a lower sentence based on his criminal history score.
According to court records, on March 11, 2019, Hanks was involved in the sale of more than 30 grams of meth to a confidential reliable informant with the West Central Minnesota Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
The confidential reliable informant bought the 30.2 grams of meth from Todd Allen Bellanger Jr., according to court records, but the two had gone together to Hank’s residence to get the meth, and Hank’s left palm print was found on the bag of meth.
On March 15, District Judge Michael Fritz sentenced Hanks to serve 58 months in prison at St. Cloud. He was granted credit for 42 days served in jail.
He was fined $50 plus $200 in court fees, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution. The original charge of felony first-degree controlled substance crime was reduced in a plea agreement.
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In a separate case, Hanks was also sentenced to 18 months in prison for felony third-degree assault.
According to court records, on July 19, 2020, law enforcement was called to a residence off County Road 34 on the report of Hanks showing up there with a gun. When officers arrived, they found a man with red watery eyes who couldn’t see and said he had feared for his life after Hanks sprayed him twice in the face with bear repellant.
A woman at the residence said Hanks had a gun and had pointed it at her several times. Another witness saw the gun and the attack with the bear spray. Hanks was arrested at a nearby residence.
He was fined $50 plus $200 in court fees in that case, also. The prison time is to be served concurrently with the first sentence.
On Jan. 11, District Judge Michael Fritz re-sentenced Hanks (using a corrected criminal history score) to 48 months in prison at St. Cloud. He was ordered to pay a $50 fine and $150 in court fees.
The Appeals Court declined to take any action beyond the re-sentencing and dismissed the rest of the appeal on Jan. 19.
First-degree drug charge dismissed against Minneapolis woman
A felony first-degree controlled substance crime against Loyalty McCurty, 36, of Minneapolis was dismissed in Becker County District Court.
According to court records, she was involved in transporting heroin and meth to Detroit Lakes. On Aug. 5, 2021, as part of an ongoing investigation, law enforcement searched her Chevrolet Tahoe upon arrival at a Detroit Lakes motel and found 5.8 grams of heroin. Two men were riding with her, and one was found to have 101 grams of methamphetamine and 50 grams of heroin on his person.
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The Becker County Attorney’s Office dismissed the charge Jan. 10 because McCurty died Dec. 13.
Detroit Lakes woman accused of felony theft
Angela Elizabeth Johnson, 35, of Detroit Lakes has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony theft.
According to court records, on Oct. 21, 2021, a Detroit Lakes police officer went to Walmart in Detroit Lakes on a report that a woman was not ringing up all of the items in her cart at the self-checkout kiosk.
A Walmart asset protection associate brought Johnson to an office, and found that the purchased receipt totaled about $158, while the actual receipt for all of the items in the cart totaled about $631, a difference of about $472.
Johnson is also accused of failing to scan items on five other shopping trips to Walmart:
On Sept. 7, 2021, the total amount taken was $205; on Sept. 11, the amount taken was about $176; on Sept. 20, the amount taken was $255, on Sept. 28, the amount taken was about $319, and on Oct. 7 the amount taken was about $402.
The total amount taken on those dates was just over $1,836, according to the criminal complaint.
On Jan. 10 a summons was issued for her to appear at a remote court hearing on Feb. 17.
