Bemidji (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji man is facing two charges after a traffic stop in Beltrami County, according to a criminal complaint.
The defendant is identified as Darrell Wayne Cournoyer, 62, of Bemidji. Court records show the case was filed in Beltrami County District Court.
Charges Filed In Beltrami County
According to the complaint, Cournoyer is charged with one gross misdemeanor count of drug-related DWI and one misdemeanor count of driving after revocation.
The DWI count alleges he drove with a Schedule I or II controlled substance, or its metabolite, in his body. The complaint states the substance did not involve cannabis or hemp products.
The second count alleges he drove while his license was revoked. Court records say his license had been revoked since June 3, 2019.
What The Complaint Says Happened
The complaint says the stop happened on January 12, 2026, at about 6:58 p.m. It says an officer saw a vehicle stop before turning eastbound.
According to the complaint, the turn signal was not activated until after the vehicle had stopped. That led to the traffic stop.
During the stop, the complaint says the officer noticed glassy eyes and constricted pupils. It also says the driver had rapid speech that later slowed.
The complaint further states the officer saw loose tinfoil in the vehicle. The filing says the material was consistent with drug use.
According to the complaint, Cournoyer later admitted he had smoked methamphetamine about three days earlier. The complaint also says he told the officer he was taking several medications.
One of those medications, the complaint says, carried a warning not to drive. The complaint says Cournoyer told the officer he did not feel he should be driving on that medication.
Arrest And Blood Sample
The complaint says Cournoyer agreed to field sobriety testing. It alleges he did not perform the tests satisfactorily.
He was then arrested, according to the filing, and taken to an emergency room. The complaint says a search warrant was prepared for a blood sample.
According to the complaint, Cournoyer agreed to provide a blood sample for testing after the warrant was presented.
Prior Record Listed In Complaint
The complaint also references prior convictions from November 18, 2019. Those listed convictions include fourth-degree drug possession with intent to sell and fourth-degree DWI.
Those prior convictions are noted in the filing as aggravating factors tied to the new DWI allegation.
Case Status
The charges in the complaint are allegations. Cournoyer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Readers can review the Minnesota DWI law at Minnesota Statute 169A.20 and the driving-after-revocation law at Minnesota Statute 171.24.
Additional court information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
