Thief River Falls Man Faces Four Felony Drug Charges

Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) — Alexander Todd Brua faces four felony charges following a September search in Thief River Falls.

The charges were filed in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District Court in Pennington County.

Brua, 29, is charged with second-degree, third-degree, and fifth-degree controlled substance crimes.

He also faces a felony charge involving methamphetamine paraphernalia in a multi-unit residential building.

The allegations are contained in a criminal complaint. They have not been proven in court.

Search Warrant Executed

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Brua and his residence on September 25, 2026.

The residence is a multi-unit building near Hartz Park, according to the complaint.

Authorities said the building is also near the Discovery Place Child Care Center.

Brua and Tiffany Lynn Nelson were outside when investigators arrived to execute the warrant.

Investigators searched the residence and reported finding several suspected drug-related items.

The complaint lists glass pipes, baggies, a digital scale, needles, and other suspected paraphernalia.

Some residue allegedly tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine during field testing.

Investigators also reported finding more than $5,000 in cash inside a bedroom bag.

Brua was arrested after the search of the residence, according to the complaint.

Authorities then searched him and allegedly found a sandwich bag containing four smaller bags.

The bags contained a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine.

The substance weighed about 25.3 grams with packaging on an uncertified scale.

A field test was presumptively positive for methamphetamine, according to the complaint.

The substance is expected to undergo further testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The most serious charge is second-degree controlled substance possession.

That charge carries a maximum sentence of 25 years and a $500,000 fine.

Brua also faces third-degree possession because the alleged drugs were located within a park zone.

That offense carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The remaining two felony charges each carry maximum sentences of five years.

One charge concerns alleged methamphetamine paraphernalia inside the multi-unit residential building.

The other charge involves alleged possession of another controlled substance.

The drug statutes are available through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

Public Minnesota court information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

Brua is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.