Mahnomen Man Faces Felony After Missed Court Date

Mahnomen (trfnews.i234.me) — Michael Jerome Buckanaga Jr. faces three charges following an early morning arrest in Mahnomen.

A Mahnomen County District Court complaint charges Buckanaga with felony failure to appear.

He also faces misdemeanor disorderly conduct and obstructing legal process charges.

The new case is filed as 44-CR-26-529 in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.

Court records say officers responded to an apartment building around 2:11 a.m. September 9.

Dispatch reported Buckanaga was inside the building and had two outstanding warrants.

Failure-to-Appear Allegation

One warrant involved a September 8 hearing in court case 44-CR-25-879.

That case includes a felony property damage charge and a misdemeanor motor vehicle tampering charge.

The complaint says Buckanaga had previously missed an August hearing in that case.

A new hearing was then scheduled for September 8.

The complaint says notice of that hearing was served at Buckanaga’s listed address.

Prosecutors allege Buckanaga intentionally failed to appear as required.

Minnesota Statute 609.49 addresses failure to appear by people facing felony charges.

The complaint lists a maximum sentence of 2½ years for the new felony count.

It also lists a possible $1,500 fine.

A second warrant came from court case 44-CR-26-394, according to the complaint.

That case involves an alleged misdemeanor domestic abuse no-contact order violation.

The complaint says Buckanaga also missed a September 8 hearing in that case.

Officers located Buckanaga in a hallway on the apartment building’s second floor.

The complaint says he initially cooperated while dispatch confirmed the warrants.

Prosecutors say Buckanaga became upset after officers confirmed the warrants.

He allegedly resisted efforts to place him inside a squad vehicle.

The complaint says Buckanaga yelled loudly and continued resisting officers.

Prosecutors charged Buckanaga with misdemeanor disorderly conduct based on his alleged behavior.

Buckanaga also faces misdemeanor obstruction of legal process.

That charge falls under Minnesota Statute 609.50.

Each misdemeanor count carries a listed maximum of 90 days in jail.

Each count also carries a possible fine of up to $1,000.

During transport, the complaint says Buckanaga made a self-harm statement and struck his head.

He was taken to Mahnomen Health Center for medical clearance.

The complaint says he initially refused to walk into the hospital.

Officers then assisted him inside, according to the filing.

The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt.

Buckanaga is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Readers can search public cases through Minnesota Court Records Online.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.