No one likely relishes the thought of having a criminal record. While most people accomplish this by simply not committing crimes, others may choose other options to avoid having something added to their records. One North Dakota man faces charges of drug crimes after a temporary case of mistaken identity.
Officers from the Grand Forks Sheriff’s Department reported that they arrested four individuals after drugs were located in their vehicle during a traffic stop. Police booked three men and one woman into the county jail after discovering almost five grams of methamphetamine in the car near Thompson. A report of the incident was given on a local television station that included the names of those arrested.
However, a man sitting at home watching the news saw his name and picture in the arrest report. He contacted police to let them know that he, in fact, was not in jail and had not committed a crime. Police surmised that the person who had been arrested was actually the stepbrother of the man who called the station. The stepbrother, a Jamestown man, had allegedly fooled the prosecutors and the judge before being discovered.
Police learned that the Jamestown man had two felony warrants against him. All the original charges have now been transferred to the presumably correct person, according to officials. In addition to the drug charges, the man has also been charged with lying to the police.
While providing false information to the police is never a good idea, being charged with drug crimes is a serious matter. A conviction could result in jail time or significant fines. To avoid or minimize the disruption of one’s life, it would be beneficial to contact a North Dakota criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
Source: westfargopioneer.com, “North Dakota man eludes meth charges for days by pretending to be his brother“, Matt Henson, April 4, 2018
