×

Woman faces drug count

FAIRMONT — A Fergus Falls woman is facing a felony drug charge in Martin County.

Lindsey Sunshine Bontjes, 36, has been charged with drug possession in the fifth degree, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

According to the complaint:

On May 21, a Truman police officer was dispatched to the Casey’s convenience store in Truman in reference to a welfare check. The clerks at the store reported a white Pontiac Grand Prix parked on the west side of the store occupied by a female who appeared to be sleeping.

The officer, as well as a deputy from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, arrived on the scene. The officer and the deputy made contact with the female, later identified at Bontjes.

The officer observed that her body was trembling and she was shaking. Bontjes said she was tired because she had been driving all day. When asked where she was coming from, Bontjes said she was coming from Fairmont. The officer observed that Bontjes seemed confused and had difficulty expressing her thoughts.

The officer believed Bontjes was exhibiting symptoms of someone under the influence of meth, and asked her to follow him out of the store. The officer went to her vehicle and observed a metal cylinder in the back seat, which he recognized as a marijuana grinder, as well as a small metal tube in the center console.

The officer returned to Bontjes and asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle. She said, “Not that I know of.” When asked if she had any weapons or in the purse she was carrying, Bontjes said she did not have weapons but noted, “Maybe some weed.”

The officer searched the purse and found a pill container that contained a leafy substance that smelled like marijuana. The officer also located a prescription pill bottle that contained one white pill, with the label stating the prescription was for a person other than Bontjes.

The officer opened the vehicle door to seize the grinder and immediately detected the odor of marijuana. During the search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a metal tube containing a burnt residue that smelled like marijuana, as well as a bag of insulin syringes. Bontjes indicated she was not a diabetic.

The officer also located a hard plastic container that was locked with a padlock. Bontjes said the case was not hers and that she did not know to whom it belonged. She said she had been given the case while in Fairmont to transport to a friend in Roseville.

While officers were searching the vehicle, Bontjes admitted she had consumed meth the evening of May 20.

While processing the evidence later, the officer discovered a substance that tested positive for meth.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the locked plastic case, which contained a shirt and seven pills that were a Schedule IV controlled substance.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today