St. Hilaire Man Faces Two Charges After Traffic Stop
Polk County (trfnews.i234.me) — A St. Hilaire man faces two traffic charges after a May 27 stop.
Antonio Lee Ashford, 58, is charged in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District Court.
The case was filed in Polk County under court file number 60-CR-26-781.
Charges Filed in Polk County
Ashford faces a gross misdemeanor charge for allegedly owning and driving an uninsured vehicle.
He also faces a misdemeanor charge for driving after his license was canceled.
The complaint says the alleged offenses happened on County Road 11 near 240th Street Southwest.
A state trooper saw a light-colored sedan traveling north shortly after 4:26 p.m.
A license plate reader alerted on the vehicle, according to the complaint.
A records check showed the registered owner’s Minnesota driving status was canceled.
The vehicle was a silver Cadillac sedan, matching the car seen by the trooper.
Details From the Complaint
The trooper stopped the vehicle and identified Ashford using a Minnesota identification card.
Court records allege Ashford’s driving privileges have been canceled since December 28, 1998.
Ashford allegedly said he knew his driver’s license was not valid.
He also could not provide proof of insurance during the stop, the complaint states.
Ashford called an insurance provider while speaking with the trooper.
The provider reportedly said the policy had been canceled because of an unpaid balance.
The complaint lists seven prior insurance violations during the last 10 years.
Those alleged violations occurred between August 2018 and November 2025.
Possible Penalties
The uninsured-vehicle charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail.
It also carries a possible $3,000 fine, or both penalties.
The driving-after-cancellation charge carries up to 90 days in jail.
That charge also carries a possible $1,000 fine, or both penalties.
Minnesota law requires vehicle owners to maintain required insurance coverage.
Readers can review the Minnesota vehicle insurance law and the driving-after-cancellation law online.
The complaint contains allegations, not proof of guilt.
Ashford is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The court issued the case as a summons.
No final outcome was listed in the complaint provided for this report.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.