Grand Forks County: Man Charged in Meth Case
GRAND FORKS COUNTY (trfnews.i234.me) — A Fargo man has pleaded not guilty to several drug charges after a traffic stop on Highway 2. Troopers say they found methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia during the stop.
Ronald Allen Ellis, 61, is charged with Class A felony possession of at least 50 grams of meth with intent to deliver. He also faces Class C felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver, Class C felony unlawful schedule II paraphernalia possession, and an infraction for marijuana paraphernalia.
The Class A felony carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Traffic Stop
The stop happened at 11:23 a.m. on October 16 near mile marker 340 on Highway 2. A North Dakota state trooper was running a stationary patrol in the median. The trooper checked Ellis’ plate as he drove westbound and found an active warrant from another county.
After confirming Ellis was the person wanted, the trooper pulled him over. Ellis reportedly said he thought the warrant issue had already been resolved.
Mugshot of Ronald Allen Ellis
Search of Ellis
Ellis gave consent for a search of his person. The trooper found a baggie in his pocket containing a crystal-like substance. The weight, including packaging, was 8.5 grams. Ellis allegedly admitted the substance was meth. A later test confirmed it.
He was handcuffed after law enforcement confirmed Ellis would be extradited to the county with the outstanding warrant.
Vehicle Search
Troopers then searched the vehicle. In the center console, they found a one-gram bag of marijuana and a .7-gram bag of meth. In a cooler in the rear seat, they found two scales with residue, a 57-gram meth bag, and two marijuana bags weighing 16.93 grams and 8.67 grams.
More paraphernalia was found in the vehicle. Ellis allegedly told officers all items belonged to him, not to his passenger. The passenger was searched and found to have no contraband.
In total, officers collected 66.2 grams of meth and 25.6 grams of marijuana. Court documents say the totals include the packaging.
Next Court Appearance
Ellis remains held at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center. His next hearing, a final dispositional conference, is set for February 19 at 1:30 p.m.
If Ellis enters a guilty plea at that hearing, any agreement may be considered. A later plea would be an open plea, leaving sentencing to the judge.
Case information is available through the North Dakota Courts.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.