Ponsford Man Charged in Meth Sale Case
PONSFORD (trfnews.i234.me) — A Ponsford man faces two felony drug charges after a search of his home.
William Lawrence Butcher Sr., 64, is charged in Becker County District Court.
The charges include felony third-degree drug possession and felony fifth-degree drug possession.
Task Force Searches Ponsford Home
Court records say Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force agents searched Butcher’s home on February 9, 2026.
The search was conducted under a court-approved warrant.
Agents reported finding drug paraphernalia and several small bags in different colors.
They also found a red coin purse, according to the criminal complaint.
The purse was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for testing.
Testing identified about six grams of methamphetamine inside the purse, court records state.
Agents also reported finding a black wallet containing $1,700 in cash.
Butcher Denies Owning the Drugs
Butcher spoke with investigators during the search, according to court records.
He reportedly said the small bags were used for beadwork.
Butcher also said the cash came from beadwork sales.
He denied that the methamphetamine belonged to him.
Butcher also said he did not know who owned the drugs.
Those statements are described in the criminal complaint.
Agent Cites Evidence of Possible Sales
A special agent reviewed the items found during the search.
The agent cited the bags, cash, and amount of methamphetamine.
Those items were consistent with drugs held for sale, the agent said.
The opinion was included in the court filing.
The charges remain allegations and do not prove guilt.
Butcher is presumed innocent unless he is convicted in court.
First Court Appearance Set
Butcher’s first court appearance is scheduled for July 2.
The hearing is set before District Judge Gretchen D. Thilmony.
Additional hearings may be scheduled as the case moves through the court.
Local court information is available from the Becker County District Court.
Public case records may be searched through Minnesota Court Records Online.
Information about laboratory testing is available from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.