Linaya Elaine Mathis, 20, Sauk Rapids, is facing a felony charge for possessing or offering a forged check with the intent to defraud.

In August, the Little Falls Police Department received a report from the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department that Mathis was allegedly passing forged checks throughout Central Minnesota, including at three gas stations in Morrison County, cashed on July 18.

According to the criminal complaint, Kandiyohi County resident reported that someone had reprinted his checks and changed the name on the checks to their name, but kept the routing and account numbers the same.

The three checks in Morrison County totalled $461.52.  Court documents say the name on the checks was Mathis’.

At one of the gas stations, a clerk wrote down the license plate number of the person who cashed the check’s vehicle. It allegedly matched a vehicle owned by Mathis.

Surveillance footage from two of the gas stations allegedly show Mathis cashing the forged checks.

On Sept. 13, Mathis was in the Stearns County Jail and allegedly admitted to passing checks in Little Falls.

If convicted, Mathis faces up to five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines.

Robert Leanord Pace, 30, Brainerd, was convicted Wednesday of possessing stolen property. He was also given a stay of adjudication on a felony fifth degree drug possession charge.

The charges stem from an April 12 incident in Little Falls in which an officer conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Pace.

The license plate came back as stolen, and officer confirmed that it was stolen out of Brainerd.

The officer had the driver and passenger exit the vehicle, and Pace was found to have a warrant out for his arrest.

A subsequent search of the vehicle discovered a plastic baggie with white residue in Pace’s coat pocket that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

For both cases, Pace was sentenced to 58 days in jail, which was served concurrently. He received credit for 58 days served.

He was also sentenced to five years of supervised probation and $285 in fines.

Fredrick Dean DeRosier, 55, Little Falls, is facing a felony fifth degree drug possession charge.

On Nov. 7, a Morrison County Sheriff’s Deputy was called to assist with looking for suspicious activity in the Belle Prairie area of Little Falls.

According to the criminal complaint, the deputy stopped a vehicle driven by DeRosier, who had driven onto Riverview Drive from the grass behind a building at high speeds.

The deputy noticed De-Rosier’s license was suspended, and he was allegedly sweating, fidgety and had pin pointed pupils.

Court documents say when asked, DeRosier allowed the deputy to search him and .8 grams of methamphetamine was found on DeRosier’s person.

During a search of the vehicle, .7 grams of meth was allegedly found in the center console.

If convicted, DeRosier faces up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

A felony  firearms possession charge against Micheal John Dewitt, 19, Little Falls was dismissed Nov. 2.

On Aug. 28, 2015, law enforcement received a report of someone shooting what appeared to be a long rifle and pistol pellet gun at squirrels.

The suspect shot and killed a squirrel and disposed of it in a wooded area.

Dewitt initially told officers a juvenile who was also present had killed the squirrel, but later confessed that he had done it.

Dewitt was an adjudicated delinquent Nov. 24, 2014 for a fourth-degree controlled substance violation, which is considered a crime of violence under Minnesota statute. He is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.

Assistant County Attorney Amber Kusler said she dismissed the case after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in October, air powered BB guns do not count as firearms under Minnesota law.

Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen states that a private party is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information that leads to the identification of the person who shot and killed Terrance “Terry” Brisk, Monday, Nov. 7.

Brisk was out hunting in an area in Belle Prairie Township, in a wooded area on the corner of Hawthorne Road and Jewel Road, east of Little Falls,

The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Nov. 9, that Brisk, 41, died of blood loss due to a gunshot wound.

Investigators believe Brisk was shot Monday, Nov. 7, between 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Investigators are trying to determine the circumstances of Brisk’s death, including the possibility that the individual who shot Brisk is unaware that they had done so.

The Sheriff’s Office continues to actively investigate this case and is looking for the public’s assistance, including anyone hunting in the area at the time, and anyone who saw an unfamiliar person or vehicle leaving or entering the woods between 2 p.m. – 4:45 p.m., Nov. 7. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 632-9233 with any information.

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol, Minnesota DNR, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Pierz Police Department and the Little Falls Police Department.

Brian John Forcier, 29, Little Falls has been charged in Morrison County District Court with eight felony possession of child pornography charges, and two felony dissemination of child pornography charges.

In 2014, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension received a tip through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children  from an email provider that it suspected one of its users was sending child pornography. According to the criminal complaint, after reviewing images provided by the company, an investigator determined they met the criteria of child pornography.

Court documents say after information gathered from the email administrator wasn’t able to show who the owner of the account was, a search warrant was obtained for the email’s content.

The content of the account allegedly showed it belonged to Forcier.

Forcier allegedly refused to speak with investigators while in the Morrison County Jail on Sept. 18, 2014, for a separate incident.

Searches of his property in the jail and at his Little Falls residence found 162 digital files allegedly containing suspected child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, victims known to law enforcement were seen on 13 videos and 45 images in the collection of files. Court documents say several of the victims appeared to be under the age of 10.

When investigators examined Forcier’s phone, they allegedly found it had been used to send child pornography, including two files with victims known to law enforcement, to other parties on four occasions.

If convicted of all charges, Forcier could face up to 54 years in prison and/or $60,000 in fines.

Zachary Michle Bennett, 23, Moorhead, is facing a felony charge for escaping from custody.

Bennett was in custody in Morrison County for felony firearms possession and felony receiving stolen property charges.

On April 28, a judge signed a release stating Bennett would be released to a treatment facility in Fargo, N.D. According to the criminal complaint, Bennett had been told if he left treatment without successfully completing it, he had eight hours to return to the Morrison County Jail.

On July 1, Morrison County Community Corrections informed the court that Bennett had been unsuccessfully discharged from the treatment facility.

Bennett’s agent said he had called her and allegedly confirmed he was unsuccessfully discharged. He did not however, return to the Morrison County Jail. A warrant was issued for Bennett’s arrest.

On Aug. 24, Bennett was taken into custody in Todd County. He currently remains in custody.

If convicted, Bennett faces up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Callie Mains Statema, 21, Little Falls, is facing a fifth degree felony drug possession charge. Statema is also charged with a misdemeanor for driving after her license was revoked.

On Nov. 10, a Morrison County sheriff’s deputy pulled Statema’s vehicle over after she committed a moving violation and the deputy noticed her license was revoked.

The deputy arrested Statema as she had multiple convictions for driving after withdrawal. When the deputy searched Statema, he found a small paper cup which allegedly contained .7 grams of heroin.

One of Statema’s passengers was also arrested for possession of approximately .1 grams of heroin. he was arrested and charged with a gross misdemeanor.

If convicted, Statema faces up to five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines.

Derek Wayne Hoehle, 31, Little Falls, is facing a fifth degree felony drug possession charge, after police allegedly found him in possession of methamphetamine.

The charge stems from a  Nov. 14 incident where law enforcement was called to a Little Falls apartment about a possible domestic assault.

As officers approached the apartment, Hoehle exited the apartment and was asked by police if he had a weapon on him.

According to the criminal complaint, an officer noticed a bulge in Hoehle’s pant pocket and searched it for officer safety reasons.

Inside was an eyeglasses case, which allegedly contained a pipe and baggies used for smoking meth.

According to the criminal complaint, the pipe field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

Hoehle was arrested and taken to the Morrison County Jail.

If convicted he faces up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

David Michael Blevins, 33, Little Falls is facing a felony theft charge for allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Little Falls home.

On Nov. 10, the Little Falls Police Department received a complaint that a vehicle was stolen while it sat in the owner’s driveway.

A Morrison County Sheriff’s Deputy found the vehicle headed south on Highway 10 near the Fourth Street Southeast overpass.

The driver, identified as Blevins, was placed under arrest.

If convicted, Blevins faces up to five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines.

Nov. 5 — A resident on Lindbergh Drive South reported the theft of a bicycle.
Nov. 6 — A resident on Fifth Street Southwest reported the theft of a political sign.
Nov. 6 — A resident on Eighth Street Northeast reported the theft of two light bulbs from a motion activated device affixed to their garage.
Nov. 6 — A resident on First Avenue Southwest reported the theft of pills.
Nov. 7 — A resident on 18th Street Northeast reported a theft.
Nov. 7 — A business on 18th Street Northeast reported a theft.
Nov. 8 — A business on 18th Street Northeast reported the theft of a utility work trailer.
Nov. 8 — A resident reported the theft of an auto from a parking lot on Second Street Southeast.
Nov. 9 — A resident on Fourth Street Southeast reported someone had used their driver’s license to purchase a vehicle, signing for a loan in Eden Prairie.
Nov. 9 — A resident on Sixth Street Southwest reported the theft of a political sign.
Nov. 9 — A resident on Fifth Avenue Northeast reported a case of identity theft.
Nov. 10 — The Morrison County Motor Vehicle Department reported a theft.
Nov. 10 — The Brainerd Police Department turned over a case of financial transaction card fraud.
Nov. 10 — A resident on DeRosier Drive reported a scam.
Nov. 10 — A vehicle was stolen from a residence on Gayle Drive and was recovered on Highway 10 southbound just south of the Fourth Street overpass.
Nov. 10 — A business on 18th Street Northeast reported a shoplifter.
Nov. 11 — A business on Haven Road reported a theft.

The following people, charged with a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor level crime in Morrison County District Court, have recently been sentenced:

Gross Misdemeanors

• Robert Charles Hatfield, 33, Milaca; (offense: 6/18/2016) DWI – body contains any amount schedule l/ll drugs – not marijuana, fined $415, sentenced to 54  days in jail and supervised probation for four years. Dismissed against Hatfield were two gross misdemeanor counts of third degree DWI.
• Eric Donald Reis, 41, Bowlus; (offense: 7/9/2016) second degree DWI, fined $615, sentenced to 45 days in jail and supervised probation for six years. Dismissed against Reis was one gross misdemeanor count of second degree DWI.
• Kimberly Ellen Riddle, 38, Little Falls; (offense: 6/4/2016) third degree DWI, fined $615, sentenced to 30 days in jail and supervised probation for six years. Dismissed against Riddle was one gross misdemeanor count of third degree DWI.

Misdemeanors

• Anthony Larell Davis, 28, Little Falls; (offense: 1/23/2016) assault – fifth degree – inflict or attempt bodily harm, fined $385,  sentenced to three days in jail and supervised probation for one year; and (8/19/2016) driving after suspension, fined $135 and sentenced to three days in jail to be served concurrently with first count.
• Nicole Joy Mortenson, 25, Swanville; (offense: 7/12/2016) theft – take/use/transfer movable property without consent, fined $251.39 and sentenced to probation to the court for one year.
• Amber Beth Okerman, 29, Royalton; (offense: 4/9/2016) driving after revocation, fined $135, sentenced to 15 days in jail.
• Christian Michael Payne, 19, Browerville; (offense: 10/2/2016) one count of careless driving, fined $185, sentenced to two days in jail and probation to the court for one year; also one count of driving an uninsured vehicle, fined $100 and sentenced to two days in jail to be served concurrently with first count.
• Callan James Drill, 22, Burtrum; (offense: 5/21/2016) DWI, fined $560, sentenced to two days in jail and supervised probation for two years.

•             Patrick Henry Englehart, 66, Browerville; assault – fifth degree – fear or bodily harm or death, fined $169.16, and sentenced to probation for the court for one year.

Felony first degree attempted murder, first degree assault, a second degree assault and failure to render aid charges against Kyle Daniel St. Martin-Smith, 26, Randall, were dismissed, Nov. 9. However, St. Martin-Smith was convicted of felony fifth degree drug possession and another felony failure to render aid charge.

The charges stem from a May 2015 incident where St. Martin-Smith allegedly shot Little Falls resident Ryan Deters in the forearm after attacking him with a baseball bat.

According to the criminal complaint, Deters was found bloodied and in severe pain, with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds that appeared to have done extensive damage to the bones in his left forearm. He alleged that St. Martin-Smith had beaten him with a baseball bat and then shot him in St. Martin-Smith’s trailer house in Randall. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Law enforcement surrounded St. Martin-Smith’s residence and ordered him to exit. He was handcuffed and taken into custody without incident.

Further investigation found that Deters and St. Martin-Smith had exchanged text messages that morning, and St. Martin-Smith had invited Deters to his residence.

Deters stated that he walked in the door and was hit in the head with a wooden object he believed to be a baseball bat and St. Martin-Smith yelled that is was “time for (him) to die.”

Deters was allegedly struck several times in the face as he trying to protect himself. When Deters attempted to get away, St. Martin-Smith allegedly pulled out a handgun and again made death threats against Deters. Deters stated that he held up his arm and heard one or two shots, after which he felt a burning sensation in his arm.

Deters was able to open a window and jump out, escaping to a nearby residence for help.

A search of St. Martin-Smith’s residence found blood on the kitchen wall and on a mattress in a bedroom. There was evidence that more blood had been cleaned up. Two bullet holes were also located in the bedroom wall, and a .40 caliber loaded magazine was found in the master bedroom, along with a gun cleaning kit containing $8,100. Nearby was a gun case containing a .40 caliber handgun.

Officers also found a yellow paper and a $20 bill folded around a small bag containing a crystal substance. A straw with residue was also found. The crystal substance later field tested positive for methamphetamine.

St. Martin-Smith allegedly said Deters had assaulted him first and he acted in self-defense, but allegedly admitted to not calling law enforcement and cleaning up blood and other evidence prior to his arrest.

Assistant County Attorney Todd Kosovich said the charges were dismissed because it became apparent they were unable to prove them beyond a reasonable doubt.

St. Martin-Smith was sentenced to 150 days in jail, with credit for 30 days served. He was also sentenced to one year and a day in prison and was given a stay of five years supervised probation. He was fined $485.

Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf and his staff have filed gross misdemeanor complaints against the following people:

• Kurt John Kliber, 35, Little Falls — In connection with a Nov. 10 incident, Kliber has been charged with one count of fifth degree controlled substance crime – possession.
• Carolyn Ruby Helmer, 46, Casper, Wyo. — In connection with a Nov. 12 incident, Helmer has been charged with two counts of third degree DWI.

If found guilty, they could face a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.

The court will set their appearance date.

Douglas Floyd Kienholz, 66, Burtrum, was charged Monday with second degree felony assault with a dangerous weapon. He is also charged with a misdemeanor for violating a protection order.

On Sept. 27, a judge ordered Kienholz to have no contact with a victim.

On Nov. 10, the victim was driving her ATV near Upsala when Kienholz allegedly rammed her ATV several times with his truck, sending her into a ditch and rammed the ATV again.

Kienholz allegedly got out of his truck and tried to  grab the victim’s cellphone.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim got away from Kienholz and drove toward Upsala, where she called the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office.

When a deputy asked her what had made Kienholz so upset, she told him it was because she wasn’t talking to him.

She showed the officer multiple messages allegedly left by Kienholz on her phone, which violates the protection order. Among the messages was one that allegedly told the victim to call Kienholz or there would be repercussions.

According to the criminal complaint, Kienholz has several pending charges for violating the protection order.

If convicted of the felony, Kienholz faces up to seven years in prison and/or a $14,000 fine.

Extra DWI Patrols on Minnesota Roads Nov. 23 – Dec. 30

“Thank you for deciding not to drink and drive. Your life and the lives of others depend on making the right choice.” That message will be placed on vehicles left overnight at a Twin Cities establishment to thank customers for being responsible citizens.

The “thank you” is part of the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety holiday campaign to get more people to join the crowd and find a sober ride after consuming alcohol.

“It’s way more valuable to us for our customers to be safe than to have an open parking space at our establishment,” said Emily Brink, operations manager at The Happy Gnome in St. Paul.

Officers, deputies and troopers from more than 300 agencies across the state will be conducting extra DWI enforcement patrols starting Nov. 23 and running weekends through Dec. 30.  The extra enforcement and education effort is coordinated by the Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety.

“It just takes that one moment, that one time to shatter a life forever,” said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director. “If you are truly someone’s friend or a family member of someone who is impaired, you won’t let them get behind the wheel this holiday season.”

Learning from History

Summer enforcement is behind us but there are lessons to be learned from drivers’ poor choices as Minnesotans begin celebrating the holidays. Troopers, sheriff deputies and police made 1,351 DWI arrests during the Aug. 19 – Sept. 5 extra enforcement campaign. Committing to a sober drive is never too late.

Summer DWI campaign arrests included:

• Winona County Sheriff’s Office arrested a driver for DWI who had his intoxicated brother as a passenger. The brother was arrested for DWI less than an hour later while driving the same vehicle.
• Two Harbors Police arrested a motorist for fleeing and DWI after striking a firetruck and squad car at a crash scene. During the pursuit, the driver struck two more squad cars.
• Hutchinson Police arrested an individual who attempted to drive through a roundabout and got stuck.

Drivers Heeding the Warnings

Drivers are heeding the warnings during the holidays as November (1,931) and December (1,876) were the months with the lowest number of DWI arrests in 2015.

2015 MONTHLY DWI ARREST HISTORY

DWI Consequences

• Loss of license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time.
• Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol-concentration level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license.
• Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.

Prevent Drunk Driving

• Plan for a safe ride – designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
• Speak Up – Offer to be a designated driver, or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
• Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.
• Report drunk driving – call 911 when witnessing impaired driving behavior. Be prepared to provide location, license plate number and observed dangerous behavior.

About the Minnesota Department Public Safety
DPS comprises 11 divisions where 2,100 employees operate programs in the areas of law enforcement, crime victim assistance, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, emergency communications, fire safety, pipeline safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management. DPS activity is anchored by three core principles: education, enforcement and prevention.

About the Office of Traffic Safety

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (DPS-OTS) designs, implements and coordinates federally funded traffic safety enforcement and education programs to improve driver behaviors and reduce the deaths and serious injuries that occur on Minnesota roads. DPS-OTS also administers state funds for the motorcycle safety program and for the child seats for needy families program.

Krystena Marie Soder Wall, 43, Little Falls is facing a felony charge for maliciously punishing a child under the age of 4.

On Oct. 9, the Little Falls Police Department was contacted by St. Gabriel’s Hospital about a child who was in the emergency room with serious bruising to the face.

According to the criminal complaint, the child’s mother told officers she took her 2-year-old to the hospital for large bruises to the face and neck, after picking him up from Wall’s apartment.

Wall, who was baby-sitting the child while the mother was working, allegedly told the mother she lightly tapped the child after he bit her finger.

When law enforcement took a statement from Wall, she allegedly said she had been trying to get a large amount of food out of the child’s mouth when he bit her finger.

Wall allegedly told officers she slapped the child on the right side of his face so he would release her finger, and when that didn’t work she grabbed the right side of his face to pry his mouth open.

According to the criminal complaint, Wall said she must have grabbed his face too hard.

When an officer asked Wall to show the finger that was allegedly bitten, court documents say there were no marks indicating she had recently been bitten.

If convicted, Wall faces up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

The following people, charged with a gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor level crime in Morrison County District Court, have recently been sentenced:

Gross Misdemeanors

• Charles Wayne Lickteig, 66, Little Falls; (offense: 10/7/2016) dismissed against Lickteig was one gross misdemeanor count of driving after cancellation.
• Gabriel Steven Gross, 24, Pierz; (offense: 5/14/2015) second degree DWI, fined $465, sentenced to 60 days in jail and supervised probation for six years.  Dismissed against Gross was one gross misdemeanor count of second degree DWI.

Misdemeanors

• Jesse Lee Sather, 39, Fergus Falls; fleeing a peace officer by means other than a motor vehicle, fined $135, sentenced to eight days in jail.
• Andrew David Arendts, 32, St. Cloud; tamper with motor vehicle/enter without owner permission, fined $185, sentenced to 10 days in jail one misdemeanor count of damage to property in the fourth degree, no sentenced pronounced.
• Allyssa Marie Avila, 19, Hillman; disorderly conduct/offensive/abusive/noisy/obscene, fined $135, supervised probation for one year and one misdemeanor count of liquor – consumption by a person under 21, sentenced concurrently with first count.
• Amanda Ann Tesch, 66, Royalton; driving after revocation, fined $135, sentenced to 10 days in jail.

Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf and his staff have filed gross misdemeanor complaints against the following person:
• Mark John Gallus, 53, Little Falls — In connection with a Nov. 12 incident, Gallus has been charged with two counts of DWI and one count of collission with unattended vehicle – notify victim or police.
If found guilty, he could face a maximum penalty of one year in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.
The court will set his appearance date.

Anthony Tyrone Jones, 33, St. Cloud was convicted Nov. 17 of possessing a firearm while convicted of a felony or crime of violence.

On Jan. 3, Little Falls police received a report that Jones had shot a hole through the window of a vehicle with a handgun.

The complainant said Jones had been at a bar and allegedly got into a fight.

The complainant said she left the bar with Jones, but, upon arriving at Jones’ residence, he told her to wait outside and that he would be right back.

A short time later, Jones got back into the vehicle and appeared to be very angry.

Jones pulled out a black handgun and stated that he wanted to return to the bar and shoot everyone there.

Jones then discharged the gun by accident, shooting a hole through the windshield.

Jones was later located in another vehicle. He initially denied that he was in possession of a firearm. He later admitted to law enforcement that there was a handgun under the passenger seat of his vehicle.

Officers obtained consent to search the vehicle and found a black .38 revolver.

Jones said he got the gun from someone in St. Cloud and bought it to protect his family.

Jones’ criminal history shows a conviction in June 2006 for terroristic threats, which is considered a crime of violence and prohibits Jones from owning firearms.

Jones was sentenced to 30 months in prison, and fined $417.15, $282.15 of which was restitution.