Drug sting operation nets 20 suspects

Suspects in court

today, Chief Zins

wants drug dog

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Twenty suspects will appear in Brown County District Court this morning in connection with a concentrated area drug investigation effort over the past 60 days.

New Ulm Police received assistance from Sleepy Eye Police, the Brown County Sheriff's Department, Brown/Lyon/Redwood Drug Task Force and the Minnesota Highway Patrol.

The effort was greatly aided by an undercover person who became part of the drug culture, purchasing an undetermined amount of cocaine and methamphetamine from 20 local dealers and distributors. Total weight and street value of the drugs has not yet been determined.

Nine people, three from New Ulm, have already been charged with first-degree controlled substance crimes -- Sheila Frauendienst, 20, 1513 N. Payne A2 No. 4; Perish Stanfield, 30, 1513 N. Payne, A3 No. 2; and Linus Tauer, Budget Holiday Motel No. 12.

Others charged were Valentine Martinez, 34, 324 2nd Ave. N.E., Sleepy Eye, and Ricardo Carmona, 135 5th Ave. N.E., Sleepy Eye; Raphael Robles, 19, Fairfax; Kelly Fahey, 19, Fairfax; Dale Corbett, 29, RR1, Courtland and Joshua Sanchez, 22, address unknown.

Two New Ulm men -- Jose Perales, 31, No. 49 Budget Holiday Motel and Henry Nicols III, 1513 N. Payne, have been arrested pursuant to a complaint charging them with second-degree controlled substances charges.

Two Sleepy Eye men, ages 45 and 31 were arrested in New Ulm Mobile Village on related charges Tuesday night.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of three Sleepy Eye men and three juvenile suspects who remain at large. Several juveniles were arrested earlier and remain at the New Ulm Juvenile Detention Center.

"We'll get them," New Ulm Police Chief Howard Zins said of the suspects at large. "They've left the area now, but we'll get them back."

Zins, a member of the three-county drug task force, praised the work of the undercover person who bought the drugs from unsuspecting dealers and distributors.

"He was a go-getter. We arrested people the first day he was here," Zins said. "This stuff (drugs) is around, no question about it. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot more out there. We're just getting started."

Wednesday morning, five drug task force teams of four or five people shared two dogs that are trained in drug detection. The dogs came form Marshall and Madelia law enforcement authorities. Within 30 minutes, arrests were made.

"We surprised a few people," Zins said.

Police spent more than $10,000 buying drugs over several days and seized a couple vehicles. Those vehicles can be sold by police, and the revenue will help cover the cost of the investigation.

Zins said he plans to ask the New Ulm City Council to fund the purchase of a drug dog for the department. Anonymous letters to police have mentioned how easy it was to buy drugs in New Ulm, according to Zins.

"They're (drug dogs) great to have," Zins said. "Drug arrests can be hard to get. We need the help the dogs provide. In Cloquet, police said their drug dog helped them arrest 371 people and collect more than $1 million worth of drugs in a year. When a dog puts a 'hit' on a car, it's probable cause. We've got officers that are excited about working with dogs."

Zins said what upsets him the most is when he learns that teens are selling drugs to other teens, some as young as 14.

Several nights ago, Zins said a 16-year-old high-speed chase suspect told police he was high on cocaine while driving.

"He could have hit somebody and turned a family inside out. We don't need our kids getting messed up with high-priced ($120 a day or more) habits that lead to thefts and other associated violent crimes when they try to find money to pay for their habit," Zins said. "People on cocaine can be passive or extremely violent."

Defendants charged with controlled substance crimes in the first degree are alleged to have sold cocaine or methamphetamine in aggregate amounts in excess of 10 grams over a 90-day period. The penalty for the crime is 30 years and/or $1,000,000.

Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines require the Court to sentence the first-degree controlled substance crime defendants to incarceration in a state penal institution for at least 81 months. Defendants charged with second-degree controlled substance crimes must be incarcerated in a state penal institution for at least 44 months.