Baudette Man Charged After Checks, Suspected Meth Found

BAUDETTE, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Baudette man faces three charges following a June 16 investigation.

The case involved stolen checks and suspected methamphetamine, according to a criminal complaint.

Joshua Alan George Bishop is charged in Lake of the Woods County District Court. He faces felony drug possession, gross misdemeanor obstruction, and misdemeanor theft.

The criminal complaint lists court file 39-CR-26-94. The claims remain allegations unless proven in court.

Checks Reported Missing

According to the complaint, Wayne Harthan reported a black bag missing from his home. The bag contained blank checks and paperwork bearing his name.

Harthan told authorities that a worker had been at his property. He also described a white minivan linked to the worker.

Deputies later located Bishop and a white minivan at a Baudette gas station. An investigator reported seeing a black bag through the passenger window.

Court documents say Bishop first denied knowing about the reported theft. He later called the matter a confusion and said he planned to return the bag.

Joshua Alan George Bishop mugshot — Joshua Alan George Bishop

Arrest and Vehicle Search

The complaint says Bishop removed the bag and placed it on the van’s hood. He then allegedly entered the van after being told not to do so.

Authorities said Bishop resisted arrest and repeatedly reached toward the center console. He was eventually removed from the van and taken into custody.

At the jail, Bishop reportedly blamed another person for taking the bag. He said he kept it because he planned to return it.

Investigators later searched the bag at the gas station. They reported finding unopened checks and other papers belonging to Harthan.

Harthan identified the bag as his property. He told investigators that nothing appeared to be missing.

Suspected Meth Found

Authorities also searched Bishop’s van after the arrest. The complaint says they found a small plastic container near the center console.

The container held a white crystal-like substance, according to court documents. A field test reportedly showed a presumptive positive result for methamphetamine.

The complaint lists the substance’s weight as three grams. Field tests are preliminary and may require laboratory confirmation.

The felony drug charge carries up to five years and a $10,000 fine. Details appear under Minnesota Statute 152.025.

The obstruction charge carries up to 364 days and a $3,000 fine. The law appears under Minnesota Statute 609.50.

The theft charge carries up to 90 days and a $1,000 fine. The theft statute is available through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

Maximum penalties do not predict the final outcome. Public case details may appear through Minnesota Court Records Online.

Bishop is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.