A man and a woman are facing felony drug charges after being accused of receiving mor ethan 2 pounds of meth through the U.S. Postal Service.
Michael Vincent Bruguier, 37, of rural Ponsford and Alexis Danielle Billing, 23, of rural Park Rapids are both charged in Becker County District Court with felony first-degree controlled substance crime.
According to court records, on Jan. 18, 2019 an inspector with the U.S.Postal Service notified the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force about a package that had been delivered to a Ponsford residence from a suspected meth source in San Bernardino, Calif.
Two other packages from the same California address had been delivered to Mahnomen in November and December of 2018.
The investigator was focused on accused meth distributor Steven Greenfeather and his connection to Ponsford, according to court records.
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On Feb. 13, 2019, a task force agent was notified by the postal inspector about a package shipped from the suspect address in San Bernardino to Ponsford.
After a K-9 drug dog “hit” on the package, it was opened at the Fargo Post Office, and was found to contain 992 grams -- or more than 2 pounds -- of vacuum-packed meth.
The package was resealed and sent on to the Ponsford Post Office without the meth.
Surveillance was set up there and, on Feb. 15, 2019, a vehicle driven by Bruguier, with Billing as a passenger, arrived at the post office, according to court records. Billing went inside and picked up the package. Both were arrested and questioned.
While Bruguier was talking to agents, his phone rang with a call from Greenfeather, asking if he got the package. Bruguier replied that he did, and Greenfeather instructed him on weighing and distributing the contents of the package.
Billing eventually admitted knowing there would be meth inside the package. Greenfeather has been indicted in federal court “for his role in this conspiracy,” according to court records.
On June 8, Becker County District Judge Gretchen Thilmony issued a summons for Bruguier and Billing to appear in court at a later date, which has not yet been established because of COVID-19 concerns.
