Beltrami County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Red Lake man is facing a felony DWI refusal charge in Beltrami County District Court.
Donovan Marshall May, 50, of Red Lake, is charged with first-degree DWI refusal to submit to a breath test.
May is also charged with driving without a required ignition interlock device.
The second charge is listed as a gross misdemeanor.
The court file number is 04-CR-26-880.
The charges stem from an April 19, 2026, traffic stop in Beltrami County.
Traffic Stop Leads To Arrest
According to the complaint, a Beltrami County deputy was on patrol around 9 p.m.
The deputy was traveling on Pleasant Valley Road NW.
The complaint says a vehicle had a non-working license plate light.
The issue made the rear plate hard to see, according to court records.
The vehicle was stopped, and May was identified as the driver.
According to the complaint, May showed signs of alcohol impairment.
Those signs included red, watery eyes and an odor of alcohol.
Investigators also found that May was required to use an ignition interlock device.
No ignition interlock device was found in the vehicle, according to the complaint.
Donovan Marshall May
Breath Test Refusal Alleged
The complaint says May refused a preliminary breath test.
He allegedly said he would fail if he gave a breath sample.
May was then taken to the Beltrami County Jail.
At the jail, he was read Minnesota’s implied consent advisory.
That advisory explains that refusing a breath test can be a crime.
According to the complaint, May again refused to provide a breath test.
The felony count was filed under Minnesota Statute 169A.20.
The first-degree DWI reference appears under Minnesota Statute 169A.24.
The ignition interlock count was filed under Minnesota Statute 171.09.
Prior DWI Convictions Listed
Court records list three prior non-felony DWI convictions for May.
Those convictions were entered in 2022 and 2025.
The felony DWI refusal charge carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
It may also carry a $14,000 fine, or both.
The ignition interlock charge carries up to 364 days in jail.
It may also carry a $3,000 fine, or both.
Public court records can be searched through Minnesota Court Records Online.
A criminal complaint is not a conviction.
May is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Pray he finds sobriety